


The Ruler Fischbach

by ThePureWolf



Category: markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Boss/Employee Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Romance, Slow Burn, Very little angst tbh, hate to love relationship, king AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-21
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2018-05-22 11:02:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 40,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6076944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePureWolf/pseuds/ThePureWolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edana Pepperman is a hard working girl that hopes to please her family. She always does her chores, she takes care of her little brother when her father is at work, and cooks dinner at the end of the day. But one day, someone from the castle comes, her life will change drastically.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stuck in Our Ways

        I sighed as I felt the familiar warmth on my face, birds chirping just outside my window. I squinted my eyes against the sun, sitting up and rubbing my face. Then it hit me; I had slept in. I jumped out of my stiff bed, almost running into the wall in my rush the closet only a foot away.  
        I pulled my night clothes off in record time, quickly grabbing my only clean dress and make my way into the light blue fabric. My dad is not going to be happy I slept in again. I crossed my short bedroom and ran to the kitchen, hoping maybe he wasn't back from hunting yet.  
        "Edana." His gruff voice said when I came into view. Great, my luck is never with me. "How are you going to be a good house wife when you can't even wake up early enough to make your future husband breakfast!" My father yelled.   
        I kept my head respectfully bowed, just like I've been raised to do. "I'm sorry father, I won't do it again."  
        He shook his head and sighed, "You said that last time too. Get cooking before your brother wakes up." I quickly did as he said, starting the small meal of eggs and bread.  
        My Dad looked over my shoulder in disappointment, "That's all you could get?"  
        "It's all we could afford." I replied honestly, sighing, "They raised the prices again."  
        He cursed, "Just great, I could barely afford anything working with the blacksmith, and now I can afford even less!" He turned to me, "It doesn't help that I haven't married you off yet! Most girls by your age are already married and having kids! And we could use another working man around here."  
        "I know, but it's not going to make much of a difference if it's a guy from here." I pointed out.  
        Father scowled, "That's why whenever I see nobles come in, I bring you up. I'm not stupid. Don't talk back to me again."  
        I wince, "I'm sorry father."   
        My brother walked in, the blonde hair he got from Mom ruffled still. He also got Mom's brown eyes, which look good on him.   
        My father smiled, "About time you woke up, Alistair."  
        The five year old smiled, rubbing his eye with a tiny fist. "Sorry Dad, the birds weren't as loud as usual."  
        I got his plate ready and gave it too him. Even though he only had half a loaf of bread and a cup of eggs, he didn't complain. My Dad smiled proudly at his son, the slightest glimmer of mourning in the back of his eyes. Alistair looks so much like Mom.  
        I avoid the urge to tear up. I look down at my black hair, my father's genetics. My blue eyes were also more like my Dad's, although I was always proud that mine were a deeper blue. I shake my head and give my father his food.  
        "Edana, remember to take the laundry down to the community wash." I nodded, quickly eating the small amount of eggs that were left, since my father got the other half of the bread. I grabbed the laundry basket and made my way out, careful not to spill the contents out as I made my way down the dirt road.  
        Fazbearia was never the richest country, but we made do with what we had. Other places like BroFista had fancy paved roads and more food, but the people of my land had always been proud if the close community we have here, more or less. Some parts get more attention from the kings than others, and naturally those places were nicer.  
        Overall, we knew our king was trying his best, but the country has really grown and he's struggled with the change. He's also the youngest king this country has had, and has only been running the place for three years.  
        I stop behind other woman who were waiting for their turn to wash their families clothes like me. I lived in one of the poorest cities, a place that the king doesn't even glance at.  
        "I heard that he's so handsome!" The woman in front of me squeals. I look at the brunette girl who made the.sound, realizing she was younger than me by a couple years. I'm 20 now, which is an unusual age to still be unmarried, like my father said.  
        "Who is?" I asked, feeling a little bad about I intruding on her conversation with another woman.  
        She turned and smiled at me, "The king! My sister got the privilege of visiting a nicer area and said she caught a glimpse of him! She said he was absolutely gorgeous."  
        I roll my eyes slightly, "Gorgeous or not, couldn't he run this place a little better? It isn't fair that some places get more attention and money than others!"  
        "Talk like that will chase away all suitors and you know it. Besides, how could you not care about his gorgeous brown eyes and thick black hair?" She said giddily.  
        "I heard that he's really strong too!" The other girl across from the brunette said,  giggling.  
        "But some people are suffering, and he isn't doing anything about it!" I said, resisting the urge to yell.  
        The girl shrugged, looking at her friend, "You know, there is nothing we can do. Besides, you speak a big game for someone who hasn't been married yet."  
        I wince and stay quiet, ignoring them as they continue to gush over our leader. I could feel someone look my way every now and again. I knew I wasn't popular around here. I'm not the woman my mother was.   
        When it was my turn, I wash the cloth articles quickly, running back to the house to hang them up to dry before they get wrinkled.  
        I walk back to the kitchen to find my father with a small amount of dirt on his face. He smiled slightly, holding up a rabbit. "Found dinner for us. I was going to get the squirrel but...you know..."  
        I sigh, "It's against the law to kill the national animal." I pause for a second, "Squirrels are pretty cute, though I wish I national animal was more threatening."  
        "But you're not in any position to change that." He gave the dead rabbit to me. "You know what to do." I hold back a groan and quickly walk to the kitchen. By the time I get this rabbit skinned, I'd have to rush the preparation if my father and brother wanted to eat before the sun set. I glanced out the window for a second, spotting the castle all the way in the distance, for from here.  
        I don't want to say I hate him....but I do. How hard is it to treat the whole country the same? I've lived here my whole life and haven't even seen royalty once. My Mom said the Fischbach's have been here for a long time.  
        I focused back on the rabbit in front of me and sighed. Whatever, this thing isn't going to skin itself.


	2. Sold

        I carefully removed the now-cooked rabbit pieces from the pot, putting them in the only dishes we had; a plate and two bowls. I made sure my brother got the bigger portion, since he needed to grow big and strong to take care of Father and I. Being the first, and in this case only, born son keeps a lot of pressure on my baby brother that he doesn't fully realize yet.  
        Speaking of my brother, Alistair ran into the kitchen and latched onto my legs, whimpering. "What's wrong?" I asked him, stroking his hair to calm him down. "I have dinner ready, would you like some?"  
        He shook his head and looked up at me, "A person from the castle is here." He squeaked.  
        I felt my eyes widen, "Isn't that a good thing? Doesn't it mean Father is getting a promotion?"  
        He quickly shook his head, tears now visible in his eyes. But he won't cry, he knows how Father feels about crying. "He's talking to him....about you."  
        "Me?" I ask, suddenly concerned. I pick up the three dishes and walk out to the front room, where we usually eat. I quickly spotted Father by the door, talking to a man in a royal servant uniform. He had black hair shot through with grey and light brown eyes the color of whisky, and a giant pink mustache stood out on his dark green uniform.  
        "Dad?" I called out quietly.  
        He turned to me, "Edana....this is one of the lead servants. He's retiring and was looking for someone to take his place." He wouldn't look me in the eye, "He's willing to pay me to take you as his replacement."  
        "Y-you're selling me?"  
        He sighs, "You've become a burden, and the money their offering is a lot. We'd have more money for food and better clothes. You'll be fed better too. Please, get your stuff."  
        Just like I've been raised, I did as he said. I put the dishes down and headed back to my room, refusing to cry here in front of him. I'm stronger than crying. I quickly packed my most valuable items and most comfortable clothes in a bag that I've always had. Mom loved to move around a lot and we constantly went traveling, even if we couldn't really afford it. She always wanted to see the castle...and now I was going to be living there.  
        I sighed, the only thought that Mom would've loved going helping me move forward. I grabbed my stuff and walked back out. My brother looked at me with such a mix of sadness and anger. Father will probably tell him something to calm him down later, and the money will help them a lot I guess. The older servant smiled softly at me, and I saw sympathy in his eyes. Did the same thing happen to him?  
        "Right this way Ms.Pepperman." He said, leading me to the carriage. I felt my mouth drop open in awe. A gorgeous black horse stood at the front, beautifully groomed and well cared for. It was huge compared to the other horses in town, and better fed to. I carefully placed my luggage on the ground and approached the beast, reaching a hand out.  
        It allowed me to pet it, making me smile. It's fur was soft, like the kitten that use to live around the market, begging for fish. I sighed and looked back at my family. Alistair waved softly, sadness still in his eyes. I waved back, looking at the horse once more before grabbing my stuff and stepping into the carriage.  
        The servant got in with me, signalling to a man I didn't see before to head back. I watched my family and all I've ever known disappear behind me. I almost laughed as I thought about the rumours that would be spread about me. Most will think I'm being arrested for treason against the king. The king....  
        "What....what does a lead servant even do?" I ask, looking back at the man.  
        "We do simple things to serve the king directly. You should be honored that you were the most eligible person for this job." He stated.  
        "How would you know that?" I narrowed my eyes, "Have you been watching me?"  
        "We just know that everyone pointed towards you when we asked who was good at serving." He said defensively.  
        "And let me guess, you wanted to choose someone from a poorer community to look good. And by you I mean king Fischbach." I snap, glowering. I knew this was strange. The servants silence only proved what I thought. The king just wanted to keep his image up.  
        "You better control those thoughts around the king. He wouldn't appreciate it." He snapped.  
        I decided it's best not to get on this dude's bad side, "Fine, I will." I looked out the window.  
        "Anyway, your duties will be simple: Bring the king his dinner, along with anyone else he might be eating with, lay out his clothes, draw his baths, stand beside him in court with water just in case he gets thirsty, and anything else he asks."  
        This is going to be great. Basically what I already did for my brother, except on a greater scale. Oh god, will I get put in the dungeon for putting out a bad match of clothing, or making the water the wrong temperature?! Seems like what the king and any other stuck up rich person would be upset about.  
        "I'm Doug by the way." He said after a moment of silence.  
        I looked back over at him, "I'm Edana, but you already know that." I brushed my black hair out of my face. He smiled softly, trying to make up for snapping at my earlier.  
        "You know, the first thing we should do is show you where you can get cleaned up. You won't have to sacrifice water for anyone and you can take as long as you like...as long as the king has excused you for the night." He said softly.  
        I looked down at myself, spotting dirt smudged in several places, my current clothes dirty as well. I blush as I realize how poor I look. Well, I am poor but I never thought anything of it. Everyone looked poor. I was almost blown away as I realized how different things will be. This has to be a dream.....or maybe a nightmare.  
        I looked back out the window, enjoying the view now that we were out of the city. A sunset in the background made the natural mountains look stunning. I hope that view is still visible from wherever my room is. I poked my head out the window, hair getting blown back by the wind, and looked at the trail in front of us. A couple more cities dotted the area in front of us, the nicer and bigger the houses the closer they were to the castle.  
        Then there was the castle. As we got closer to it, more features became visible. The milky white walls interrupted by black accents and doors. Where it sat on the mountain, you could easily spot the near by stable. Then there was the arena, where the king makes speeches and any events are held. Events that you can't get a good view from where I live-...er...use to live.  
        What type of events does the king of Fazbearia even hold? Maybe one wear maidens come to swoon at his face. He is known as the heartthrob of the YouTube peninsula. Which is surprising because I heard King Mcloughin is pretty attractive. Although, he is friends with King Fischbach and likes to be called Jack....for all I know he's probably just as stuck up as the rest of them.  
        I shook my head and got back inside the carriage. Whatever, like I promised I'll try to behave myself. I settled back and tried to relax. It was going to be a long ride. The country was huge and growing, it takes quite a few hours to get from one end to the other.  
        A couple hours....I could use a cat nap.


	3. Bigger than it Looks

    I was bumped awake by the carriage bouncing around. I looked at the other passenger in the cart, disoriented and startled by the abrupt awakening.  
    "Good, you're awake." Doug said with an amused smile. "We're almost at the castle." He handed me a handkerchief.  
    "What's this for?" I asked with a yawn, taking it.  
    "You were drooling." My eyes widened at his words and I blushed, quickly wiping the saliva off my cheek and, much to my increasing embarrassment, the seat and the door.  
        "Sorry....it's a habit that comes and goes." I said shyly, handing his handkerchief back to him. He made a face and threw it out the window. I frowned but decided not to comment on it. I brought my attention back outside as the carriage slowed to a stop.  
        Doug got out and went around my side to open the door for me. Grabbing my bag, I stepped out and admired the view. Something you couldn't tell from any of the farther away towns was that Fazbearia has a coastline. It was directly behind the castle, however there were a few house sprinkled along the medium sized beach. Huge houses too, like mansions or something. I've never really seen one, except in paintings that struggling artists sold on our street at prices way lower than what he deserved. I avoided the urge to tear up at the thought that I'd never see a couple of those artists again, or the beautiful paintings they created. How they would talk to me about what it was like for them growing up with the old kings, and how different things use to be when the country was barely a city.  
        I shook my head and focused back on the enormous castle in front of me. It was easier to tell now that the bricks used to make the castle were made out of some sort of granite-limestone mixture, which is why it looks a lot whiter from further away. Not going to lie though; it was still very impressive. I looked behind me, spotting a giant black fence closing behind us, the design near the top twisting into a F. From there, my eyes scanned the giant front lawn, if you could call it something as domestic as that. Three rows a delicately trimmed bushes made there way across it, soft-looking emerald green grass covering everywhere.  
        However, there didn't appear to be a porch out front, just the entrance to the castle and some monstrously sized windows. I tried to look up to see more of the castle, but doing so made me feel dizzy.  
        "I'll show you to your room." Doug said, appearing in front of me. I smiled politely and nodded, motioning for him to lead the way. The heavy-looking wooden doors were pulled open by more staff of the Fischbach's, all male.  
        The front room was surprisingly simple. A marble staircase lead to a second floor, where only two doors could be seen. A small table sat high in the middle of the room on a fancy rectangular rug, a nice flower vase sitting in the center. A small chandelier hung from the ceiling, the candles glittering softly, giving the well-lit room an orangish tint. This small room alone probably cost more than my family's entire house.  
        Although there were big arches that led to other rooms on the left and right walls, Doug led me to the back of the staircase. Right between where the doors on the upper floor were stood an unextradinary wooden door. Unlike the doors above us, the wood was cheap and chipped in some places. To be honest, I liked this little door better anyway. It had character those bigger, fancier, more expensive doors would never have.  
        "This is the entrance to the servant hall. It's also where your room is located. Please stay right behind me, it's easy to get lost if you're new here." Doug said, half smiling at me. He opened the door to reveal a long hall way, with many different rooms on each side. It's like those hotels Mom would tell me about when I was small. Like Doug requested, I stayed behind him as we walked along the stone floor, wooden walls on either side of us. All the doors looked the exact same, and the lack of individuality was going to drive me crazy. Finally, Doug stopped in front of a door, dropping a gold key into my hand.   
        "This is your room. Thanks to your father we were able to get measurements and make you your uniform." He said.  
        "Wait....how long was my Father planning this?!" I asked, anger and betrayal running through my head in a dangerous dance to be the dominant emotion.  
        "Three days. He really needed the money." Doug said, trying to defend my Dad. "Anyway, you have two hours for yourself to get use to your room. I suggest you draw a bath wwhen you get in there."  
        "Draw a bath?" I asked, curiosity stifling the other two emotions.  
        Doug chuckled, "Even we have bathrooms in our rooms."  
        I blinked in surprise, then nervously eyed the eyes in my hand. I slowly unlocked the door. "I'll be coming back to bring you to meet the King, and show you your duties for preparing the King for bed."  
        Feeling ioverwhelmed, I just nodded, making him shut the door. I placed my suitcase down on my bed, which was way bigger than the one at home, and eyes the uniform. It was a dark green dress with a Peter pan collar and buttons for the top, shaped like pink moustaches. Besides being tighter around the waist, it seemed very flowy. I glance at the other door present and went to open it, peeking my head in. I mirror treated me, startling me at first. Indeed, sitting in the middle of the room was a small bathtub. I examined it a bit before testing how the water starts. Once it got to a temperature I liked, I pushed in the drain down and waited for the tub to fill. As I started to unbutton the back of my dress, I got a pit of nervousness in my stomach.  
        Although I don't want to admit it, working for the King was probably a better opportunity than getting married or any other form of getting money to my family. As I slipped into the bath and scrubbed the dirt off my carmel colored skin, I allowed my thoughts to wander.


	4. The King

        I jumped as a knock sounded on my door. Making sure my new uniform fit first, I walked over and tentatively opened it. Instead of Doug, a lady that looked around my age with chocolate skin and hair a shade darker stood outside it. The thing that jumped out of me was her honey colored eyes. She wore the same uniform as me, but her waist was smaller.  
        "Hello Edana, I'm Shiloh. I'm in charge of helping in the kitchen. Since we will work together when you prepare the kings meals, I figured we should meet." She said, voice high and slight accent echoing in it.  
        "Pleasure to meet you. Where are you from if you don't mind me asking." I replied, trying to place the accent.  
        "I use to live in Septica." She replied with a smile.  
        I smiled back, "King Mcloughin. Very respectable. Why come here?"  
        A pink tint colors her cheeks, "I had a crush on King Fischbach since I saw him when he visited King Mcloughin and I decided to transfer here."  
        I felt my smile fade a little. Great, she was like the girls in my old town, swooning over the king.  
        Luckily for me, keeping me out of the awkward situation, Doug came up behind Shiloh. "Ms.Pepperman, it's time for me to start showing you your tasks."  
        Shiloh's eyes widened, "You're going to meet him, right? The king?"  
        I sigh and nod, "Yes, I rather not, but I am." She gave me a confused look, but I just followed Doug as he lead me through the castle. I kept my eyes on my shoes as I walked, the colorful flooring passing beneath me.  
        Doug stopped, causing me to run into him. He glanced back at me as if I didn't, "I believe he's having a meeting right now, so I ask you to stay quiet."  
        "Then why are we going in there in the first place?" I ask, confused.  
        Doug chuckles slightly, "Just in case he needs something. More often than not he just asks for water, but that's why we're here. And I have something for him that he wanted."  
        I looked at the doors, head tilting back as I tried to look at the top. They were huge with a fancy, maze-like design along the outside, getting more complicated at the top of the door. The top was also not round, but pointed, like a triangle. My eyes drifted down to the handle. It was long instead of round, and a pretty bronze color. The end curled, seemingly like a vine. As if it could come alive and grow till I wouldn't be able to get out again. But my mind was lying to me, I've been trapped since Father decided to sell me.  
        Keeping any distaste I had for the king out if my face and eyes, I followed as Doug opened the door. It opened slowly, and I winced at how heavy it probably is. The room we stepped into was huge. The wall opposite of the door was a series of large windows, showing the view of the castle garden and the beach mixed with our country's mountains. The walls were a deep grey color, and the ceiling was white and very round. A violet carpet ran down the center, starting at an equally giant door as the one we passed, although that door was even fancier with a lot more designs that I couldn't make out from here. The carpet continued pass us to a fancy chair, gold and swirly with a red velvety seat and head rest. At least, that's what I could see with a person sitting in it.  
        The man had his arm resting on the left arm rest, hand on his chin, as he listened to an angry nobleman talk. The only reason I knew it was a nobleman was because of his fancy clothes, of course, they weren't as fancy as the one in the throne.  
        The man in the chair wore a purple vest like item that was had gold, swirly accents. A long sleeved white shirt stretched across the part of his upper body not covered by the buttoned up vest. The sleeves were poofy except for at the wrist, where is clung to him just below his hands. His legs adorned purple pants that matched his vest, except there wasn't any accents on them. My eyes moved back up to his face, tracing his broad, defined jawline, leading to a rounded square of a jaw. Scruff covered it, as well as his upper lip. He had high, filled in cheek bones.  
        His pink lips were thin and his nose was big, his eyebrows were sort of bushy but arched and clean. The man's eyes were kind of slanted, the exact opposite of my too-wide eyes. His eyes were a dark brown, just as chocolatey as Shiloh's skin, maybe more so. Long lashes framed them, brushing his bottom eyelid every time he blinked. His raven black hair was fluffy and curled around a crown he wore on his head in some places and caressed the empty air in others. The king.  
        Those chocolate orbs flickered to us, his thin lips becoming a small smile as he sees Doug. I get it. He distracts everyone with his looks so they don't see how bad things have gotten under his rule.  
        "Ah, Doug! I see you have returned. Did you fetch what I asked you too?" A deep, musical, soothing voice boomed, echoing in the room. He distracts people with his looks and changes their attention to something else with his voice. Well, it's not going to work on me.  
        "Yes, I have it right here." Doug replied to him, pulling a piece of paper from his pocket. The king walked over and Doug handed him the paper. He walked back over to the nobleman, handing the paper to him.  
        "This should solve your troubles. Have a good day." The king said.  
        The nobleman smiled and left without a word, leaving Doug and I alone with the king.  
        "King Fischbach, this is my replacement, Edana Pepperman." Doug said, bowing slightly, an arm stretched toward me. I quickly bow my head and curtsy. Just because I don't trust him doesn't mean I'm allowed to disrespect him.  
        He chuckles softly, "I see. It's been awhile since a female has been a lead servant."  
        "We looked in the outer cities like you ordered. All the men were taken and more often than not unsuitable." Doug replied, shrugging. I felt my nerves start to grow as the king examines me. My blue eyes lift and I meet his gaze, quickly realizing he has gotten closer. I tuck a strand of my own black hair away behind my ear and look away. "She will be joining me with my duties so she knows how to do everything tomorrow." Doug continues.  
        "No need." King Fischbach says, looking at him, "I think I'd be able to instruct her better than you, she is going to be serving me. Who better to teach her how to serve someone than that person themselves." Doug looks absolutely flabbergasted, "You will be serving me the rest of the day, then tomorrow you can retire to your family." The king continues without making a comment on Doug's reaction. Doug fixed his face and nodded.  
        The king turned to me, "You need to wake before the sun rises to start on breakfast, and you'll wake me while it's cooking and help me dress. Shiloh will put it on the plate and you'll bring it out to me." He instructed, smirking at Doug to show he could teach me, like a preschooler showing their parents how they tried to dress themselves for the first time. "For now, return to your chamber and rest." He finishes, eyes returning to me.  
        I just nod and quickly leave, walking swiftly through the halls. Using the floor I passed by earlier as a guide, I found my way back to the employee chambers. Seeing no one was in the hallway when I opened the door, I made a dash for my room, quickly going in and closing it, back resting against it. I stood there, loathing this new job already. The last thing I wanted to do with my life is help a 26-year-old man get dressed in the morning. I know that I would've helped a man anyway if I would've gotten married, and there is still a chance that I will get married, but this was different. King Fischbach is a stranger.  
        I growled slightly in irritation, ruffling my hair up with both my hands. As I pushed away from the door, my eyes drifted to the window. I quickly grabbed a chair from a wooden desk that sat in the corner, climbing on it to look out. I had a very nice view....of a castle wall.  
        Any hope I had to liking it here flew right out that window. With no plan, I try to squeeze through the window. If I could get out this I could escape. My upper torso went through more or less with ease, but my hips were too big and wouldn't fit through. I tried twisting, but that didn't work either. I pushed myself back in, I sigh.  
        I glance around the white walls of my room, taking in everything. The bed didn't have a frame, it just rested on the floor in the upper left corner of the room. It wouldn't hurt my back because the mattress was so thick, but it didn't compliment the room at all. There was the desk that I stole the chair from in the far right corner, parallel to the bed. Like I noted before; it was wooden. Just beside the door there stood another wooden item, a dresser. It was on the right side of the door and was pretty hidden from anyone looking in, unless they decided to look behind the door they were opening.  
        I jump off the chair and peek in the bathroom. There was the fancy bathtub that wasn't really all that fancy now that I think about it. It was made of metal and the pipes were visible, causing the room to look weird since it was in the center. A weird-looking metal toilet was in the back left corner, which wasn't far from the tub. The room really wasn't very big. Of course, I don't know a lot about bathrooms since Father, Mother, Alistair and I never had one.  
        I close the door to the bathroom and look back at my bed. Besides a pink sheet and thin, dark pink blanket, there was nothing else going for this room. I sigh; at least looking for decorations will give me something to look forward too. Decorations with color, maybe some more pinks, a couple green items, blues, purple, and maybe even red. For now though, I guess I should unpack my stuff. If I leave it in a bag on the floor, I'd just remember I'm not going anywhere away from the castle anytime soon. I feel like I've been abandoned by my family, which is what happened now that I think about it. All but Alistair. I miss him, but I know this will help him have a better life than I have had up to this point, and probably a better life than I ever will have. I might not be physically there to help him, but I'll still be able to look out for him this way.  
        I have to do this for him. I'll be good for him so he'll be happy. Father and Alistair will get more money, will be able to afford more food, nicer clothes, and could even get Alistair into a school. If Father saves the money right, they could even afford a nicer house. Maybe they'll move closer and I would be able to join them again some day. With that in my mind, I get on my knees and start unpacking.


	5. Just Get to Noon

     A drop of water hitting my face startled me awake, and I darted up, looking around in confusion. The white walls of my room were the only things visible in the darkness, besides the window. I reached up to touch my face, only to find my hair was wet too. I stand and walk towards the window, dismay overtaking my confusion. It was raining and there was no way to keep it out of my room, since there weren't any window panes or anything.  
       I added finding those to my mental list, right under finding decorations. I cautiously poke my head out and look against the drizzle, seeing that the clouds had a lightness they only acquired before the sun made it's appearance for the day.  
       I quickly changed into my uniform, struggling slightly to button the collar, before rushing out the door. I have no idea how much time I actually had, so better safe than sorry. I ran out of the servant wing and froze. I have no idea where the kitchen is. I thought back to yesterday, going over what I remember from the three rooms we walked through. None of them reminded me of a kitchen, I doubt it would be that different from the one at home.  
       So I went the opposite way from the throne room. Even though it was super dark and I could barely see, I was able to make out enough so I don't run into things. I figure it's a good sign that the first room I enter is a dining room. There is a long table down the center, a dark chestnut color. There were about a dozen matching chairs with knotty looking backs. A deep red colored rug was directly under it, complementing each other. A black wooden floor covered the rest of the flooring area. Dark red walls that match the carpet, black wooden accents rushing up the the ceiling in the corners. The black ceiling was barely noticeable because of a huge, gold chandelier.  
       My eyes drifted to the black door in the back. I walked over to it and shyly peeked in, relaxing slightly when I saw it was the exact room I was looking for. The silver pots and pans were pretty spread out around the small white room. They hung from walls and the ceiling, all so clean that the single lit candle in the middle of the room made them sparkle.   
       Shiloh waved at me, "I was about to come look for you. It's hard finding your way through a dark castle on your first try."  
        I smile politely at her, trying to conceal how tired I already was, "Yeah, it was a little tough, but the small amount of light coming through the window helped. What is your suggestion for breakfast for the king?" I asked her, deciding to skip the small talk and get to work.  
        "He likes meat a lot, especially chicken....although he can't have that for breakfast. I have to bring breakfast to the night guards around the kingdom, so you're on your own for a while." She said as she grabbed a tray of food. "You'll figure something out." She added with a warm smile before leaving.  
        I sigh, I guess I'll have to go by my best judgment. Lots of people like eggs, right? I went over to the ice box and quickly found a basket of eggs near salted meat. I grabbed a few eggs and a couple strips of bacon before going over to a counter space. I got a pan down and quickly got a fire going, cracking eggs into the pan and grabbing a spoon.  
        As I held the pan over the flame, I panic for a brief second; I don't know if he prefers his eggs scrambled or not. How does he expect me to have any idea what I'm doing when he didn't tell me these things?!  
        I decided to scramble them before turning my attention to balancing another pan in my hand. I maneuvered the bacon strips into it and held the pan over the flame. It crackles and pops as it cooks, filling the room with a rather nice smell. I turn my attention back to the eggs, slightly satisfied that there wasn't any more of the liquid in the pan. That meant they were done. I briefly put down both pans on the counter to grab a plate, easily transitioning the eggs onto it. I went back to holding the bacon pan over the fire, flipping them the best I could without spilling them everywhere.  
        I ignored my stomach as it clenched when I looked at the food. I haven't had this much food in front of me in a very long time. Thank goodness my mother showed me as much about cooking as she could, otherwise I would've been screwed. I swiftly place the bacon on the plate and leave the dirty dishes by the fire that I just put out. I wasn't sure if I was going to need to come back here to wash them later or not. I found a tray like the one Shiloh was holding and placed the plate on it.  
        Her voice suddenly comes from behind me, "Do you need someone to show you King Fischbach's room?"   
        I turned to look at her, recovering from my heart attack. "Yes please. I assume it's upstairs but I don't know where."  
        Shiloh smiles and leads the way, holding the door for me. "How are you liking the castle so far?" She asks; trying to make small talk. I keep the food on the counter and walk past the open door.  
        I think carefully about my answer, trying not to upset her. She's the only other servant I've met beside Doug and I'd rather we be friends than hate each other. Besides, life is better with friends anyway. "The castle is absolutely gorgeous and fancier than any building in my little town. Although, there isn't a lot of color in my room and when it rained last night, since there wasn't any window covers, the rain came right in."  
        She giggles, "Yeah, all servant rooms suck at the beginning. Feel free to decorate when you can. And I'll find Finny and tell him about your window situation."  
        I smile and raise an eyebrow, "Who's Finny?"  
        She blushes, pink showing on her dark skin, "He's sort of maintenance for the castle. He's really good at his job too."  
        "You like him don't you." I tease with a giggle.  
        She playfully rolled her eyes and made her way up the stairs in the front room. I followed close behind, careful not to let her get too far ahead of me. If I lost her in the darkness that lingered I'd be lost for a long time.  
        "This is King Fischbach's room. According to Doug, the best way to wake the king is to light the candles and shake his shoulder." Shiloh said.  
        I smile kindly at her, "Thanks for your help."  
        She smiles back, "Any time." With a little wave, she starts heading in the opposite direction that we came from.  
        I sigh and turn to the fancier door. It was unfair that he couldn't wake himself up and had to have someone do it for him. I have no reason to be gentle with him at all. I glance around the hall; maybe I could run now.These hallways were obviously nicer even though they had the same color scheme. The material was a lot better and there was no creaking like there is from the one's downstairs. I remember Shiloh said something about night guards and immediately gave up on the running plan. I hesitantly push the door open, peeking in.  
        The dark red walls made the place seem darker than the hall. I stepped on to a soft, dark brown carpet that felt nice on my feet. A bookcase sat in the left corner in front of a window, the light brown color a good contrast to the floor. All the furniture, where they were made of wood, had the same color. A loveseat sat near the bookcase, cushions a beautiful gold color. The giant bed in the middle of the room on the right side had the same gold color, on the blankets instead. The headrest sat against the right wall, making the bed horizontal to me. A lump was lying in the middle, the small movements of a rising and falling chest telling me who it was.  
        My eyes wandered to the bedside tables, where a candle sat on both, a box of matches on the right table. I quietly walked over to it and lit a match, careful when lighting the actual candle. My eyes drifted back to King Fischbach. His chocolate eyes were closed, and his face was relaxed. Although his hair was a mess, it still looked nice in a way. The light from the only lit candle danced on his face, casting shadows in a way that made the king's face appealing to the eye. Not that it wasn't already, the candle just made it more so. His sleep shirt was unbuttoned enough that his breast muscle was visible, showing how fit he was. Up close, one could easily tell he had muscular, veiny arms. Men in my village would kill a man with arms like the king out of jealousy. I guess that's one of the reasons I didn't find any of them appealing.  
        I rolled my eyes at my own thoughts and gently grabbed his shoulder through the blanket, shaking him slightly. I ignored the way the muscle flexed under my hand as he moved. I stepped back when he sat up, watching as he rubs his eyes and looks at me.  
        "Oh yeah, I forgot Doug retired." He commented, voice thick and rough from sleeping.  
        I just nod, "Breakfast is already ready. You can come down when you're done getting dressed."  
        He stands, stretching lightly. He wore a pair of loose pajama bottoms and a button up pajama shirt, most of the buttons undone. "It's part of your job to assist me in getting dressed." He says, monotoned.  
        I tried to keep a blush off my face and curtsy, "I apologize. I'll help you right away sir." I quickly go over to one of the bedside tables and get clothes for him; A green shirt and matching pants, then another vest, this one a darker green.  
        I placed them on his bed, feeling a little awkward now. I suddenly felt his chest touch my shoulder as he leaned over me, inspecting what I placed. "This looks a lot like what I wore yesterday." He commented. Was that amusement in his voice?  
        "I don't know what else you would wear." I stutter, stepping sideways away from him.  
        "I guess that's fair enough." He said, grabbing his clothes. "You may go down to the dining room. I'll be there shortly. But note I'm only letting you go without full assistance this once."  
        I nod and leave, quickly closing the door behind me. He's not as rude as I thought he would be, but it still felt like he was talking down to me. And it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm shorter than him by a lot. I might be 5'3 but I could still punch someone if I needed to. And did he mean I was going to have to help him get dressed in the future?! No way am I doing that.  
        I quickly make my way back to the dining room, finding it easier than before due to the sun now peeking over the horizon. It shines a bright orange, casting the color across the room as I enter it. Shiloh quickly walks through the door and hands the tray to me, 2 glasses now on it. One was longer and filled with milk, and the other was shorter and empty. I stared at the milk.  
        "What?" Shiloh asks, looking at it too.  
        "It's been so long since I've last seen milk. We haven't been able to afford it..." I reply, shaking my head to get out of my daze.  
        I watch as her face suddenly turns red, and at the same time I hear the door close and a chair scrape across the floor. Great, the king is here.  
        I turn and walk over, putting the food in front of him, along with the empty glass. I pick up the milk glass and glance back at Shiloh, not sure if I should put it on the table or if I should fill his glass. She makes a pouring motion, along with a reassuring smile. I take a deep breath and pour the milk in the glass, careful not to spill. Moments like this make me glad I have my mother's balance.  
        I back away from him, putting the milk glass back on the tray. "Don't go too far." His voice boomed, making me jump. "I'll need a refill at some point." He glances over his shoulder at me. I nod and stand still. How did I get in this mess?  
        I look towards where Shiloh was standing, but she was gone now, leaving me alone with the king once again. Silence filled the room, except for the sound of his fork scraping against the plate, and his glass clinking when he picks it up and puts it down.  
        "Did you sleep well?" He suddenly asks, startling me again.  
        "What?" Was all I was able to get out, I was confused as to why he was talking to me.  
        "I asked if you slept well."  
        "Why do you care?" I ask, snapping slightly.  
        He looks back at me, eyebrows lifted in surprise, "I was trying to make small talk. I take by your attitude that the answer is not well."  
        I glare slightly, "I slept fine."  
        He chuckles and turns back to his food. That douche was getting a kick out of this, and I am now half tempted to pour the rest of this milk on that pretty little head of his.  
        He stands suddenly, turning towards me. "I believe I am finished. Leave those beside my plate; Shiloh will get it later." Grinding my teeth, I do as he says. "Now walk with me."  
        I swallow slightly, nervous that maybe I messed up already. Was he going to throw me into the dungeon? My brother says that happens in books he reads for school.  
        King Fischbach walks ahead of me, hands behind his back, leading the way. I follow like I was instructed, intrigued by where we were going. "You act very viscous for someone who hasn't even met me. Why?" He asks, his mellifluous voice bouncing off the walls of the empty hallways.  
        I just glare ahead and don't answer. He sighs and continues to walk. I refuse to let him fool me like he has fooled the others. He may sound like he cares but he doesn't. If he did, than my mother wouldn't be dead.


	6. Hard Day's Work

        My Mom was always a kind person. That's one of the reasons my Father fell in love with her. She was forgiving and smart and beautiful, she was my only role model. When I was little I wanted to be like my Mom. She use to take a third of anything we made and put it in a jar, and once a month we take the money and handed it out to those who had it worse than us. We were poor, that's true, but there were those who were more so.  
         No matter how hard I've tried, I found I would always be too much like my father. I was never as forgiving. Then again, it was hard to be forgiving when the king is making you hold a million heavy books.  
        "They're not that heavy!" He claims, flicking through one book in his hands.  
        I keep my mouth shut before I say anything I might regret. I will admit the library was astonishing. There were ten huge bookshelves in a circle around the door when you first walk in. The dark brown wooden cases stretched at least twenty feet back and were over ten feet tall. A ladder was needed to look at the top shelf. There are stairs with dark red carpet that leave to a small second level where a series of oak desks and matching chairs stretch across it.  
        King Fischbach was at the one in the middle, yet didn't sit, just paced around it as he read.  
        "What are you looking for?" I ask, voice strained slightly at the pain in my arms.   
        "I need information about a country that wants to start trading. It's called France I believe. You can help me look if you want, there are a lot of books here." He replied, gesturing to the books in my arms.  
        I felt my face pale, "But you said I should just hold these."  
        "I changed my orders."  
        "But-"  
        "Are you arguing with me?" He snaps, standing and hitting them out of my hands, making them collapse to the floor. I step back, a little frightened by his sudden aggressive actions.  
        It must have been then that he saw my pale face. "What's wrong? Did I scare you?" He asks, sounding amused and, much to my surprise, worried. Wouldn't he want me to be scared of him so I follow his orders without question? It's fake concern probably. He's most likely really good at doing that. Well too bad for him, because I'm not afraid.  
        "No, you don't." I say coldly, going to pick up the book.  
        When I looked up understanding crossed his face. "Can you hand me the book that says 'World History'."  
        I swallowed roughly and looked at all the books in front of me. Words on covers I couldn't make out, looking like another language even. I grabbed a random book and handed it to him. He glanced at the title and a smirk pulls at his lips. "You can't read, can you?"  
        I felt defensive and stupid, "I can read!"  
        "Then why did you hand me 'Different Cultures of Europe'?"  
        I felt my cheeks flush, my feeling of stupidity growing, and decided not to answer. I sat on the ground, staring up at him, him staring back at me. My eyes focused on his, dark chocolate swirling around in their depths, tangling with amusement and another emotion I couldn't decipher. Sadness? Pity? I don't want his pity.  
        "Were you one of those kids that refused to go to school, and your parents were too nice to make you?" He said suddenly, breaking the silence and crossing his arms.  
        I felt anger flare up in my blood. How dare he assume something like that. HOW DARE HE.  
        I stood, fists clenched, glaring at him, "My parents could only afford to send one of us to school, and they chose my brother. My little brother! He was going to take over my Father's job of being a blacksmith, and my father thought that would be best!"  
        King Fischbach looked shocked that I yelled at him and looked away from me, at his feet, like he felt bad. Yeah, sure he did, note the sarcasm.  
        His voice was quiet when he spoke, "What about your mother? Didn't she have a say?"  
        My jaw clenched, "She didn't have a chance to voice her opinion of the matter."  
        He pauses, "Where's the blacksmith?"  
        "He lives at the outskirts of our town. Father had to walk hours just to get to work." I turn away from him and try to pick up some of the books. I should've kept my mouth shut. He doesn't need my backstory or need to learn anything about my family. Especially my father. My father is the one that sent me away with them, to this place.  
        I jumped as his hand suddenly touched my shoulder, making me drop the books I was holding. I reluctantly look up at him, "What do you want?"  
        King Fischbach sighs, "I'll teach you how to read." His eyes were soft and voice musical. I resisted the urge to lean into his hand and seek comfort in his eyes. Instead I gave him a questioning stare, watching as his eyes hardened again. "Only because you work for me and I need you to be able to read and write for me sometimes." He clarified. That makes more sense, he wouldn't do it out of the kindness of his heart.  
        "Not today though." He sighs, "I think I'll look by myself. I want you to go get my dirty clothes from my room and wash them."  
        I relax, "I can do that."  
        "I also need you to make my bed, dust the room, replace the candles, put back any books you find on the shelves, fluff my pillows, clean the carpet, replace the towels in the bathroom, and prepare lunch before the sun reaches the middle of the sky."  
       My jaw could practically ached because of how hard it hit the floor. I quickly closed it and swallowed the urge to go take a nape. "I better festinate then if I need to get all that done..."  
        "I'll be waiting in the dining room. And if you're late there will be a punishment." He warns before turning back to his book. I curtsy any way, and rush out, scrambling back through the halls to find his room again. This guy was nuts, making me do all of this within a certain time limit. I finally relocate his room and go in, looking around. I didn't notice when I came in here before that there were a lot of clothes on the ground. The candles were pretty worn down. This is going to suck big time.  
        I gather the clothes first and put them in a pile, using a basket near the door to hold them in. I bring them into a bathroom that was connected to his room, setting the basket next to the bath and look around for the washboard. The door to this bathroom was quite hard to see, since the door was black. It was just right of the bed, not too far from the bedside table. The bathroom was a lot fancier than mine, which is expected since he IS the king of Fazbearia.  
        The room was white, a surprising contrast to the dark color scheme up until now. There was a big bathtub in the corner that was a circle, with a brick octagon surrounding it like a step. The faucet looked like it could've been made of silver, and the bathtub out of marble. The white tiled walls were shiny and bright compared to the oak flooring. The sink was also marble looking, the counter a similar wood as the flooring. Several wall candle holders helped light the room once I got them lit.  
        I filled the tub and got to work washing his clothes. At the same time, I looked around, trying to figure out where to hang these. I really hope they dry in time for me to put them away before lunch. I found a string and tied it across two candle holder, then began putting the clothes up. Next, I walk over to the bed and make it, as well as fluffing the pillows.  
        My eyes wander around the carpet of the room. It didn't look messy except for a stain in two places by the foot of his bed. Reluctantly, I got down on my knees and leaned down, sniffing the stain. I breathed out a sigh of relief; it was just juice. I know how to get juice out of carpet because of my little brother. He is always messy with his orange juice back when we were able to afford it. I personally liked apple juice better, but I always bought orange juice instead because it was Alistair's favorite.  
        I walk back into the bathroom and spot the pile of towels, heading toward them. None of them really looked dirty, but I guess it would be best to replace them any way. I pick one up and immediately get overwhelmed by King Fischbach's scent. I've never been able to smell him before, and we've never stood close enough for me to be able to.  
        He smelled a little bit like fallen leaves and bark, with hints of wet dog and that weird smell in the air before it rains. The wet dog must be because I'm smelling a towel that he dryed off with. Wait a minute...  
        I let the towel drop from my hands. Why the hell was I holding it to my nose? The soft bristles had tickled it, even now I still feel the ghost of the material on my upper lip. I take a deep breath to clear my head and pick up the towel again, running some water onto it and walking out to the stains. Putting my back into it, I start scrubbing the floor the best I could. It worked pretty well, after a couple minutes it started to come out, leaving the dark brown carpet without a spot on it. I'll admit I am quite proud I was able to get it cleaned. I glance back through the bathroom door to the pile of towels. Maybe if I wash them and fold them up nicely and put them in the cupboard he won't notice.  
        King Fischbach's door suddenly opened, making me jump. I relaxed when I see Shiloh come through with a pile of towels in her hands. She jumps back a little when she sees me, then laughs, "I didn't see you there. Did he tell you to come here?" She asks, going to the bathroom and putting the fresh towels where they belong, as well as grabbing the dirty one. She didn't seem affected by his smell at all, but then again she's been doing this a long time.  
        "Yeah he did, he gave me a list of things to do before I got his lunch ready. You actually have good timing, I was about to do the towels and was considering just washing then and putting then back." I admit, trying to sound like I'm joking.  
        She laughs, "You don't have to worry about the towels, it's part if my job. The king wouldn't know that though, he's never around when I get the towels." Her eyes look slightly dazed, like she was daydreaming. I resist the urge to roll my eyes, I don't even want to know what she's thinking about.  
        "Well thank you. I just have to replace the candles, put his clothes back, put back any books, and dust the room." I groan as I realize how much work I have to do.  
        Even Shiloh winces, "I should leave you too it then. King Fischbach never made Doug do any of this stuff. Usually Doug never even left the king's side all day. It's weird he's making you do this."  
        So this wasn't normal? I thought it was. "I should get back to work."  
        She nods in agreement, "I'll see you in the kitchen later."  
        I just smile until she leaves, then I sigh. This was so stupid. Would he even notice? I stand, grabbing the worn out candles and stepping out into the hallway. I look around in cupboards till I spot a box of candles. I grab the replacements and stand, looking at the worn out ones in my hand. I look around before placing them on the outside table. One of the other servants will find them and throw them away, probably.   
        I put the new candles in place and quickly look around the king's room again. Spotting some books, I walk over and put them on the shelves where they fit. I wipe the most obvious places that have dust with my hand and call it good for dusting the room. He won't know the difference.  
        I get his clothes from off the pins and fold them, putting them away. The shirts that looked nicer I hung up in the closet. There, all he wanted me to do is done, for the most part.  
        I leave his room and close the door before running to the kitchen. Hopefully, I had enough time to cook his food before he came in.  
                **************************  
        I stood like I did this morning behind the king's chair, with water this time, waiting to see if her was going to order a refill or not. I also snuck in a bite or two of fruit to ease my hunger pains before he came in, making it easier to stand here.  
        "Did you complete the tasks I assigned you?" He asks as he takes a bite of the salad I made.  
        "Yes I did."  
        "And if I were to go in there after I'm done eating it would look better than when I left it this morning?"  
        "Yes sir."  
        I spot a hint of a smirk touch his lips, making me scowl. My arm and back is going to be sore tomorrow because of all the work he had me do.  
        "Good, now you get to stand in the back of the throne room while I meet with civilians for quite a few hours. Isn't that going to be fun?" The amusement and sarcasm in his voice was obvious. He wasn't even trying to hide it anymore. Nice to know he doesn't like me either, now I don't have to worry about being buddy buddy with him. And while he's not only making me stand while he does this boring stuff, but he get to sit the entire time on his butt. HE'S not the one that will be sore tomorrow. HE'S not the one that has nothing to do and might die of boredom.I clench my jaw before I say something I would regret.  
        He has to be joking about this. There's no way he'll make me just stand there. No way.


	7. Night Routine

        He wasn't joking. I was about ready to fall to the ground by the time his last appointment left, 8 hours later. The sun has long since set, candle light leaving an orange glow on the walls. Aggravatingly, I wasn't allowed to go to sleep just yet.  
        "You still need to help me ready for bed. I let you out of a couple tasks this morning, but no more pardons are to be expected. Understood?" King Fischbach asks as he stands and stretches.  
        "Understood." I reply, suspicious. And worried. What if he doesn't like the way I cleaned his room or notices the lack of dusting? Not that I want to impress him or anything, I just don't want to get in trouble. Especially on the first day.  
        King Fischbach chuckles and starts walking without another word, I hurry to follow close behind him as we walk back to his room, careful not to trip over anything in the dark. The only sound in the whole castle seemed to be our footsteps, our breathing, and the sound of my legs screaming in protest after standing for 8 hours straight. When we finally get to his room, he opens the door, letting it go so it swung into my face. I glared at his back and rubbed my hip where the door handle hit me, eyes travelling around his extravagant room again. Just the sight of a bed made me yearn to sleep.  
        "Draw me a warm bath. And you better not make it too hot or too cold." He warns, snapping me out of my exhaustion, replacing it with annoyance.  
       "Yes sir." I reply, a little more bitter and sarcastic than I meant to show. I walk into his bathroom and over to his tub, turning the warm water on first, turning the cold handle half as much as heat handle. This worked on my bath at home, so why not this one?  
        I place my hand under the water and smile as the water runs across it. It was a decent temperature, should be good enough for the king. I step to the side after putting the plug in, glancing back over at King Fischbach.  
        He had taken his vest off, and was now working on removing his shirt. My eyes get caught on his hands, his long fingers expertly unweaving the buttons. "The shampoo, conditioner, and body wash should be in one of those cabinets. I'm not sure which one Doug put it in though."   
        I jump slightly and turn away from him, clearing my head. I guess the awkwardness of the situation was getting the best of me. Not making eye contact, and walk over to the sink, looking at the oak cupboards. The first one, starting on the far right,.I opened had a black brush in it. The next cupboard had a certificate in it, a birth certificate. I glance at the name on it and roll my eyes. Mark Edward Fischbach is apparently the his full name. What type of name is Mark? Not very original.  
        I move on, the last one having exactly what I I'm looking for. I grab the supplies and take a deep breath before hesitantly turning around. King Fischbach was already in the bath, thankfully, and had put something in the water to make it bubble, hiding his body from view. Good, the last thing I need him to do is make it more awkward. The spoiled man probably is use to this.  
        I reluctantly walk over and set the supplies down beside the tub. I suddenly feel really stupid, about to wash a grown man's hair. This is ridiculous. I put a gumball sized dot of shampoo into my hands, cautiously working it through his hair. His brown eyes stay closed, and he seems to relax. I watch my hands as they lather his hair, it was surprisingly as soft as it looked. I worked the gel into his hair, watching the white bubbles take over his black locks. "Why can't you do this?" I ask, impatient.  
        "Because I have someone to do it for me." He replied with a smirk his eyes staying closed.  
        "This is inappropriate." I argue, taking my hands out of his hair and walking to the sink to was the soap off my hands.  
        "Oh relax, it's not like your getting in the bath with me." He sighs, "Let's move on, I don't want to sit here all day." He mutters, sounding annoyed.  
        Before I could control my mouth, my temper slips out, "Why don't you be a grown ass man and wash yourself instead of making someone else do it?!" I bit my tongue, immediately regretting what I said. He was going to kill me or maybe expel me from this country or put me in the dungeon or-  
        King Fischbach starts laughing at me, "Never in my 26 years has anyone talked back to me." He waves his hand in a dismissive way, "Get pajamas out on the bed for me then you are excused till tomorrow."  
        I relax and start to head out, "Oh, one more thing," He says, turning his body towards me when I look back at him, "The only reason that worked is because I recognize you're a woman and this is awkward for you, but if you ever yell at me like that again you will not get away like this."  
        I swallow nervously and nod, heading out and closing the bathroom door. I do as he said, placing a pair of cream colored pajamas on his bed, and quickly walk out, I just want this day to be over. But I'm never that lucky, because the minute I step out I hear a chuckle, making me glare and turn toward the noise. Much to my surprise, leaning against the door outside was Doug. I didn't expect to ever see him again.  
        "How was the first day?" He asks, sounding genuinely curious.  
        "Tiring. Did you have to do literally everything for him when you worked for him?"  
        He chuckles and puts his arm out for me. I place my hand on the crook of his elbow and let him lead me, the red cloth his long sleeved shirt was made of soft against my hand. "I did, it was admittedly annoying. It's just how he and his brothers were raised."  
        "He has brothers?"  
        "Yeah, an older one and one the same age as him. I'm not surprised you don't know about them, the family covered them up."  
        "Why isn't his older brother king?"  
        "He refused the crown, preferring to be an artist. And his other brother...well we don't talk about him. The disgraceful things he did..." Doug trailed off as he walked down the stairs with me. Interesting, I guess all families have a complicated history, even royal ones. No, ESPECIALLY royal ones.  
        "Anyway, the reason I came down here again is because I think there is something you should know." He says as he holds the door for me.  
        I thank him for holding it, recalling when the king let his door hit me in the side earlier, before asking, "What should I know?"  
        An amused look appeared in his eyes, "Everyone heard that King Fischbach has a female lead servant, and you know how people talk and start rumors..."  
        I might not be educated, but I was smart enough to know what he was getting at, "Of course. They think there's an affair." I roll my eyes and shiver in disgust, mind drifting back to what the king said earlier about joining him in the bath and the way his fingers undid the buttons on his shirt.... No way.  
        I stop walking when we reach my room. I open it and sigh, "Thank you." He just smiles in response and walks back the way we came. I'm not entirely sure that was necessary though, but he seems like a nice enough guy I guess. Probably why he was the lead servant for awhile. I shake my head and step into my room, closing the door and leaning against it. A sudden ache entered my skull, announcing to me that my body needs rest.  
        I stumble over to my bed and lay on it, eyes moving to the window. I almost didn't notice that window covers were in place, just like I mentioned to Shiloh earlier today. She must have gotten that Finny guy she likes to do it. Now I don't have to worry about catching a cold or getting rained on again. I giggle a little, making a mental note to thank Shiloh when I see her tomorrow morning, and gladly embrace sleep.


	8. Learning Experiences

        I angrily pushed the pen King Fischbach gave me aside, "This word is impossible!" I yell, my head flopping on to the desk. It's been a couple days since I first came here, and the king has kept his promise to teach me to read and write. Well, not exactly kept his promise.   
        The tutor he hired was a nice, older man with grey hair and green eyes. His voice was soft and papery and he used a cane when he walked. He was probably much too gently for my hot-headedness, but King Fischbach insists, since he can't teach me himself. Apparently. The writing was going well, the reading....not so much.  
        "It's not impossible, you're still learning." The gentle man said. Steve McCourt, that's his name. He was about 80, maybe a little older, which is an impressive age considering most don't even live to 30. He sometimes stays for lunch, where he always made sure to comment about how impressed he is with the dishes I made.  
        King Fischbach also suddenly decided to make comments on my cooking. This morning he took a bite of the eggs I made and declared they were too watery, and that the steak I made for lunch an hour ago was burnt. What did he want me to do, feed him raw meat?! If it wasn't for the fact that I could get charged for murder, I'd gladly feed him raw meat and watch him get whatever disease killed 10 people in my village who ate meat raw when they couldn't afford to cook it. Maybe he'll even see before he dies what his high taxes are doing to us on the bottom. The steak wasn't burnt, I swear!   
        To make things worse he was now watching my struggles with reading while giggling like the girls in my village did when they talked about him- annoying and stupidly. I didn't know that me working here included adopting an older brother, this one more annoying than Alistair. Not that I had a choice to work here... Heck, not even brother, my affection for him doesn't even reach "friends".  
        I huff at my tutor as I stare down at the word again. It started with an I and ended with a D....In....init.... doesn't the T make an SH sound? "Initiated?"  
        Steve smiles, his face temporarily crinkling with more wrinkles. "See? You did it!" He pulls out his watch with a shaking hand and checks the time, "My grandkids expect me to visit them soon. I'll see you tomorrow Edana." He places his papery hand on my hair and smiles. I smile back, watching as he walks out the door slowly, guards rushing to help him, before dropping my smile and glaring at the king.  
        "What?" He asks, holding back laughs. I briefly consider throwing the book at him, before realizing the consequences and just closing the book with a huff and leaning back in my chair.  
        "You're being unnecessarily cruel, like a five year old with an ant." I inform him with a glare.  
        The sudden fire that licked up in his eyes startles me as he suddenly stands and walks over to me, pulling me out of the chair from my arm, my face suddenly very close to his, "Don't forget that I'm the one with the authority here. In the scheme of things you ARE just an ant compared to me. Never forget your place." He whispered to me menacingly. The high collar of his coffee brown vest brushed against my throat as we stood there staring, his warm breath brushing across my face. The fire of rage slowly died down in his deep brown eyes, and he let me go. I didn't realize he had lifted me up till my feet hit the ground, causing me to stumble slightly as I tried to clear my suddenly scrambled mind.  
        "You know by now your next task." He said dismissively, his voice still hard. I nodded, giving a half-hearted curtsy and quickly scrambling to get out of there. I wasn't able to really breathe again till I reached his room.  
        I put my hand on the wall next to his door, leaning on my arm as I calm down. He's never scared me before... not till now. I glance at his door, wondering if I could get away with not doing the tasks for today and just taking a nap. A wave of homesickness hit me, dragging me with it's undertoe. My dad was never that hostile, even when he was angry with me for much greater things than a sly comment.  
        When I was a little younger than I am now, only four years ago, when I was 16, there was a boy that came into the village with his parents. This boy, I believe he said his name was Antonio, was kind, and peculiar. His family wasn't rich, from what we could see, but he definitely wasn't poor either. That boy, closer to a man really, was 18 years old. My brother is the one who told me about him when Father and Alistair returned from buying more hunting supplies. Alistair talked about how Antonio passed them with a sad look in his eyes, and that it's been happening for a while.  
        One day as he passed, he gave my brother an apple. Little Alistair came home excitedly, showing me the fruit and beaming as he shared it with me. It became a new tradition for Alistair, meeting this man on the corner, getting an apple, sometimes a loaf of bread or other kinds of fruit. I followed Alistair one day, and when he saw me two days in a row, he brought me things too. He brought me small things I didn't fully understand at the time. He brought me paper, everyday. As he walked towards me, and I eagerly took in his burnt umber eyes and honey colored hair, he would smile, hand me the paper and say, "Don't loose it. I want to show you something with it." Then he would wink and walk day.  
        A month went by like this, the paper, the winks, the smiles. I started to sneak out, leaving my brother at the house, just so I could see him more. But I started to grow weary that he wouldn't keep his promise, until he brought me a pen instead of a piece of paper.  
        I can still remember the words he said, clear as light, "Follow me, there is somewhere I want to show you. Just promise you won't show anyone else." I agreed, and he brought me to a beautiful area in the forest, where this was a log that we could easily sit on. A greenish hue filled the area because of the leaves. As we sat on that log, he took a piece of paper from his leather bag, as well as a think book, and placed them on my lap, paper first.  
        Under that tree, he taught me how to draw.  
        As I made King Fischbach's bed without really concentrating, my focus remained under that tree. Everyday I snuck away to meet him, carrying a sheet of paper. And everyday He showed me something new. He introduced me to paint, guided my strokes to get different textures. When we ran out of space on the paper I brought for that day, he would put the paper in his bag and wrap his arms around me, and we would watch the trees, the sky, any animal that passed by. It was a happier time, the only one I've truly experienced since Mom got ill.  
        That was, until Father found out. Overprotective, frustratingly blind to my emotions. He told Antonio's parents, demanded they did something about their son that was "seducing" his "naive" daughter. And boy, did I get an earful too. Father was beyond mad. He was seething, demanded I don't meet that boy again, which turns out not being a problem anyway. His parents were planning on leaving before the incident, and figured it would've been a perfect time to leave after Father's outburst.  
        I snuck out one last time despite Father. I needed to see him, to beg him to take me with him. The last words Antonio said to me were, "Don't worry. When you're all grown up, I'll come back. I'll find you, we'll get married, I'll show you everything there is to know about art. I promise." Then he was gone.  
        I can't help but feel if I had spoken to his parents, or if I had run a little faster, he never would have left in the first place. Never would've had to make a promise he couldn't keep. Antonio, my first, and so far my only, love.  
*************************  
        I didn't have the energy during the appointments in the throne room that night to glare at King Fischbach or do more than fill his cup with water when he ordered me to. I didn't even notice the guilty, hesitant looks he gave me, too distracted by my own thoughts, my own memories. My homesickness made me nostalgic, remembering not just Antonio, but all the thing my father and I use to do together.  
        I continued to mindlessly do my task of standing there, until he suddenly touched my arm, his warm hand breaking me out of my stupor. "Listen, I'm sorry I got angry earlier. My actions were uncalled for." He says formally.   
        I sigh, feeling a little drained, and half-heatedly push his hand away. "Let's just get this over with so I can go to bed. Like you said, I'm just an ant, right? No emotions for you to hurt?" I manage a short glare before heading in the direction of his room. I couldn't even bask in the fact that I was able to stun him speechless.


	9. Stars

        The worse part about living in the castle is that at night, there is so much noise. So much creaking and groaning brought on by the old walls, aging foundation. Father's house never made this much noise. For some reason, even though today I've been more tired than any other day this week, tonight the noise made it impossible to fall asleep.  
        I sigh and get out of my bed, changing into a non-uniform skirt and shirt, the warmest ones I own, lighting a candle and quietly leaving the room. I tip toe down the hall till I find exactly what I'm looking for; stairs I found the second day here when I had time to familiarize myself with the castle. I follow them up and up and up till a reach the hatch.  
        As I open it, the cool night air stings my cheeks and nose, the light of a full moon illuminating the roof of the tower. I climb up and wander across till I found a nice view, laying back, staring at the sky as an infinite cluster of stars spread out above me. The silence of the night was comforting, and the cold was easy to ignore in the wool skirt I chose.  
        It was the only wool thing I owned thanks to my mom. It was hers before she passed, and I inherited it since I was the only female. No, am. I am the only female. Just because I'm stuck here doesn't mean I'll be forgotten. When I finally know how to write, I'll write them a letter! I won't let them exclude me. Father will read it to Alistair, I know he will. He owes me that much...  
        My thinking was interrupted by the sound of the hatch opening again. I froze where I sat, which wasn't hard because I was half frozen to begin with. I didn't move as footsteps crossed the roof towards me. It's probably a guard, maybe I'm not allowed up here? I screwed my eyes shut and focused on not moving. Maybe it will be dark enough they won't see me, and won't make me leave. I'm not tired enough yet.  
        The steps stop right beside me. I sigh and bring my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them, prepared to get scolded by some castle night guard. The voice I heard was not what I expected.  
        "I didn't think anyone else was up here." King Fischbach says quietly. I glance up at him, the moonlight reflecting in his eyes and shining off his skin and hair. He was tragically beautiful. He gracefully sits beside me, and awkwardness stretches between us. I shift my position. He clears his throat. "I'll say it again. I'm sorry how I acted earlier. It was rude of me, even if it was towards a servant." Wow, that makes me feel so much better.   
        Holding back my sarcastic remark, I stay quiet. Subtly turning away from him, I focus back on the sky, trying to figure out if I'm tired enough now to go to bed and get away from him.  
        He sighs, "Do you come up here a lot?"  
        I shrug. The king appears to be getting frustrated with my lack of real response, letting out a more aggressive sigh and shifting in his spot. I stand, turning to leave when his voice stops me, "I was going to tell you tomorrow but now seems like a good time too... You and I are going into a poor town to help with a problem in the lakes. It will be a two day trip so..." He awkwardly scratches the back of his head, "Pack stuff I guess. We leave about midday tomorrow."  
        I nod in acknowledgement, turning away so he doesn't see me make a face. A problem with the lakes? What does that even mean? "Why do you need me to come with you?"  
        "You still have duties to fulfill." He says quickly, and when I look back he seems pleased that I responded. I sigh and continue walking to the hatch, rushing back down the stairs.


	10. Road Trip

        Dirt roads have a tendency to not be very fun to travel on. They're not very smooth and end up jostling the passengers to a very great extent. Not recommended for riding with children under 4 years of age. It's especially painful if you're above 5 feet tall and in a small cart, like what King Fischbach made us ride in. Our head have met more than once, painfully might I add. At least I know for sure now that he is indeed a bone head.  
        "I should've picked a bigger cart." He grumbles, rubbing his head. At least he wasn't wearing his stupid crown, otherwise he might have accidentally poked my eye out by now. "Why did you bring so much stuff?" I hear him murmur.  
        "Oh so I'M the one that brought a lot of things, HUH? You're the one that brought three bags!"  
        "Haven't you ever been to the lakes before? I don't know what type of weather they're going to have!"  
        I turn away from him, glaring out the window instead of at the king across from me. The carriage was even smaller than the one that took me to the castle. This one was more round, a darker color, and the seats were more velvety. The horse was also smaller, a cute little tan one, probably a Palomino. I shook my head, getting some composure as the carriage comes to a jostling stop.  
        King Fischbach jumps out, and I hear his velvety voice greeting someone else...leaving me to get his bags. I avoid the urge to take a nap as I lace my right arm through the strap of one bag, and my left arm through the straps of the other two. I finally pick my bag up with my left hand, maneuvering my way out of the small carriage door.  
        I focus all my energy on not letting the king's heavy bags pull me down as I finally get my feet on the dirt ground. A small little cabin, still nicer and bigger than my Father's house, stood tall in front of me, big trees on either side of it, bringing out the lighter wood color of the house. The sound of running water echoed through the area, yet no river was in view. Dark, menacing clouds were looming overhead, hinting that it might start raining soon.  
        "Edana! Bring my bags over here!" King Fischbach yells, making me scowl.  
        "Okay sir." I reply, trying desperately to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. He was only a few feet in front of me, he didn't have to yell. I meet him and a young man by the door of the cabin, focusing on not letting my arms shake from the weight of the bags, "What did you pack in these, rocks?" I snap slightly at him.  
        He rolls his chocolate eyes and takes one of his bags from me, effortlessly picking it up and throwing it over his shoulder. "I really should have gone for a male servant. You're so....weak."  
        A flash of rage flows up my spine. My patience is definitely going to be tested over the next two days. "This man is the one who called me about the problem. I was letting him stay here at my cabin while he waited for my men to finish building a new house."  
        The boy smiles up at the king, he looked like he was about to get on his knees and start bowing. Or kissing King Fischbach's feet....most likely both. "I'm so glad you're going to fix the flooding your majesty!" He said with a small smile and a bow. His voice sounded higher than any of the annoying girls from my town. Just great.  
        "I believe a dam is already being built, I'm just here to oversee it's completion with my lead servant, Edana." The king says, gesturing to me. I curtsy, trying to be polite so he would leave quicker.  
        The boy blushes, smiling at me a little too widely before heading toward the carriage that was still in front of the house, "That is Josua, he's turning 17 in a couple months." King Fischbach whispers to me.  
        "He sounds like a 12 year old." I whisper back as we turn toward the cabin.  
        The king chuckles, than leads the way inside. It had a small dining table on the right with a kitchen off to the left side of the room. A hallway extends back to where there was probably a bathroom and a couple bedrooms. At least I hope this place had more than one bedroom, because there was no way I was going to share a room with the king. I'd rather sleep outside.  
        "You'll be able to put my bags in the bedroom at the end of the hallway." King Fischbach says with a dismissive wave of his hand, one of his bag's straps still in his hand. I take the two remaining bags to the room he requested, opening the door and putting them on the bed. I glance down the hall, checking to make sure the king doesn't pop up out of nowhere, then I slowly creep to the other room and glance inside. It was a smaller bedroom, making me smile. I could appreciate this. Both rooms looked like everything except for their windows and the beds were made of wood. The King's bedroom had a bigger bed and a dresser, while my chosen room just had the bed. I'm completely okay with it though, I don't mind living out of my bag for a couple days.  
        I wander back out to the kitchen area, where Fischbach had his back toward me, crouching down and digging through the bag he took from me. Some silverware seemed to have fallen beside the bag in various places. You have got to be kidding me...  
        "Did you really pack plates and silverware?"  
        I hear him sigh as he looks back at me, "There aren't any here because I don't come here very often. However, almost all the plates and cups are broken. Did you really have to be so rough with my bags?"  
        I grind my teeth slightly, "It's not my fault you decided to put fragile things in a bag with no protection for a rough ride."  
        He stands up straight and stretches, his joints cracking slightly as he turns towards me, "It's no big deal, I have plenty back home. Speaking of..." He fumbles around in his pockets for a second before producing a small, folded piece of paper. He unfolds it and reads it out loud for me, "You still have to start on the food, clean up my room so nothing is dirty, and collect firewood." He hands the list to me, even though I can't read all the words yet, "You will not be accompanying me to the dam so you need to do these things while I'm gone. I expect food to be on the table by the time I get back."  
        He starts to walk towards the door, but pauses for a second, "Oh by the way, since it might rain, you might want to make sure all the windows are closed." He chuckles and exits the house, closing the door behind him.  
        I had briefly considered telling him that if it rains it would be dangerous to go to a dam, but I changed my mind. I don't care if he gets washed away anyway, it would solve a lot of my problems.


	11. A Slice of Jerk with a Side of Douche

        King Fischbach's father, from what I've seen and what my Father and Mother said, was one of the best rulers we've ever had. The amount of citizens in poverty lowered, the price of food lowered, the taxes were lower, and the amount if jobs available grew higher. He was kind, focusing on the citizens, not the looks, not the relationships we had with other countries, just what we needed.  
        The only thing about his reign that went badly was when another country came along, demanding he gives the country to them. It was one of the few times in history we almost went to war.  
        I sigh as hot steam brushes across my face, trying to get the eggs out of the pot without burning myself. I had finished preparing the fish the king had brought, and decided eggs could be a good thing to go along with it, since King Fischbach really enjoys eggs. Not that I care about him enjoying the meal. I mean I totally guessed that he likes eggs from observations I've made. Not that I observed him because I cared or anything, but because I have nothing better to do than watch him eat. Literally I stand there holding liquid to fill up his cup. Not allowed to do anything else.  
        I finally succeeded in getting both eggs out, placing one on each plate. I wonder if I should peel them...  
        I sigh again and grab both eggs, gently peeling the shells off them and putting the pieces in a little pile. Now comes the hard part...getting the hot water all the way across the room to the door so I can dump it out in the grass.  
        Carefully grabbing the handles, I lift, almost immediately dropping it from the weight. This was going to be harder than I though. Sluggishly, I take one step at a time towards the door, careful not to let any of the burning contents slosh out. Using the crook of my arm to turn the handle, I hobble out and throw the water out as far as I could. It didn't make it past the porch. Oh well, the rain has already soaked the porch anyway.  
        In perfect timing with my thoughts, another load crash of thunder echoes around me. It's been like this for a couple hours now. The sun has already set, leaving the world in darkness. The rain hit the roof like someone was throwing bullets at it. It was really quite annoying.  
        Speaking of annoying...King Fischbach isn't back yet. You'd think the sun setting would have caused him to be home already, if the rain wasn't making it bad enough. I'm not worried though, the longer he's gone the better. I make my way back inside, making sure the door is closed all the way behind me. The last thing I need is to have to clean up water off the floor. Wait, does this place have a basement? It would definitely be flooded right now.  
        I'll look later. I grab the egg shells opening the nearest window just a crack. I throw them out, watching as they scattered along the ground. They would be good for the plants. Resealing the window up, I smile as my work is finally done. I ease myself into one of the dining room chairs, staring at the two plates on the table. The fish is going to be cold by the time he gets back.  
        The sound of a carriage suddenly pierces the raging of the storm. So maybe I was wrong and it won't be cold by then. I stand up and fix my uniform, grabbing the pitcher of water and filling up a glass real quick, putting it next to his plate. Just in time for King Fischbach to walk through the door. Disappointingly of course. That means I still have to work for him.  
        His black hair was dripping wet, along with his clothes. He takes off the top layer, leaving it in the middle of the floor. Great. He walks over and takes a seat at his plate, "Is this what we're having?"  
        I nod, then I quickly realize he wouldn't be able to see it because his back was facing me, "Yes sir."  
        He sighs and pushes it away slightly, "That dam had enough fish around it to make me never want to see fish again. Why don't you just take some of those pig tail noodles and put some melted cheese on it and we can call it a night."  
        I grind my teeth together, aggravated. It took me hours to prepare this fish to the way I know he likes! I'm not going to let this food go to waste while I spend another hour making him something else. "I'm not going to make a whole new meal just because you decided you want something else. You weren't here to tell me what you want so I made what you freaking brought!" I roughly put the pitcher on the table, "And if you want more water, you can lift that pretty hand of yours and pour it yourself."  
        I grab my plate and walk to my room, slamming the door behind me. Stupid spoiled child. Stupid Father not giving me a choice. Stupid kingdom being so bad in the first place. I just want to go home.  
        Holding back a sob, I start to eat.


	12. Reasonable....I Guess

        I've been staring at King Fischbach's door for a while now. I know the way I acted was completely inappropriate....even though he was being a huge douche and totally deserved it. I digress. I had gotten up early and made breakfast.  
        I wanted to bring it too him while he was in bed but I'm now having second thoughts. Not because I'm nervous or scared or anything, just because I....uh...don't want to encourage him to become an even bigger spoiled brat.  
Whatever, I guess I owe him in a way. I take a deep breath, quickly checking to make sure my skirt wouldn't trip me, then marched my way down the hall. I slowly opened the door to his room, wincing every time the floorboards creaked under my weight. I cautiously went over to the bed and balanced the trey on one hand, gently shaking the king.  
        He groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes with his large hands. He squints at me, eyeing the tray, "What's the meaning of this, Edana?"  
        "I...I...uh..." His voice was rough from sleep, throwing me off guard with the way it sounded. Why did I do this again? "I shouldn't have acted like I did yesterday. It was inappropriate... So I guess I'm trying to make it better?" I wasn't even sure anymore.  
        He took the trey from me, those big brown eyes studying my face the best he could, "I can't let you go unpunished for what you did, but I will admit it was mostly my fault." He sighs and looks away, a sudden red tint to his cheeks, "I wasn't acting my best either... Maybe we can meet somewhere in the middle. I'll think of something..." He then gave me a wave of dismissal. I bowed slightly and left his bedroom, making my way out back to the front room. His wet clothes were still on the floor from the day before  
        I sigh as I pick them up, cringing at the dampness that still covered them. There really was no place to hang them up to dry, so I guess I'll have to make do with what I have. Opening the door to my room, I draped the clothing articles over the top, making sure they weren't on top of each other, otherwise they'd never get dry.  
I wipe the stray droplets off my uniform dress, jumping slightly at the sound of the king's door opening. I turned, our eyes meeting as he held a tray with empty dishes in his arms. He was wearing much nicer clothes, a high collar brushing against his jaw, the pure white of it almost blinding. The suit-like layer underneath was closer to grey, with a black tie peeking out. His white dress pants and black shoes were just as clean as the rest of his attire. A small crown sat centered on his long black hair, the fluffy locks freshly brushed and rest slightly above his chin, a stray curl brushing the crown. His brown eyes had a warm quality to them, flickering with light as he looked into my bluer ones. He looked very royal....and irrevocably gorgeous.  
I snap out if it, "What's with the fancy clothing?"  
He chuckles slightly, "I have to attend a ball thrown by the city as a way to mingle with the citizens and..." His voice falters for a second, "And look for a future queen."  
"You don't sound pleased at the idea." I point out, ignoring the way my blood boiled at the words. I mean....how much would it suck to be stuck with King Fischbach for the rest of your life?  
He shrugs, "I have no interest in getting married, and I'm not very excited by the idea of a loveless marriage just because I have a duty to provide heirs for the throne. It must be done anyway, whether I like it or not." He looks away, "I'll leave these on the counter, you can take care of them when we get back."  
My eyebrows furrow in confusion, "Why am I coming?"  
He smirks, looking more like his spoiled self, reminding me why I hate him, "I need assistance of course. Someone to hold my drink while I dance with the dozens of suitors and chat with fathers showcasing their daughters. Everyone want to get rich, and everyone knows the best way to do that is to marry rich. So, there are many uses for you, and since it's your job to assist me, you have no choice." Someone's a little cocky, then again he's probably telling the truth considering the girls' reactions back home, as well as the female servants in the castle.  
I sigh, "Fine. Let's go I guess."  
He beams and leads the way to the carriage, placing the tray on the counter, pausing for a moment, "By the way, your punishment when we get back to the castle is to clean the empty cells in the dungeon."  
I resist the urge to make a face, "That's reasonable....I guess." Still totally sucks, considering the worse of the worse get put in there...are there even prisoners down there right now? I hope not.  
The door to the carriage is opened by the driver as we walk up, and as we get situated, I try not to let everything he said earlier get to me. Tons of beautiful young, aristocratic girls pretending to laugh at his stupid jokes, dancing with him, his hand on their waist, the possibility of his finding one he liked....it would suck to have to clean up after and feed another person along with him.


	13. Balls

        Parties were never uncommon in my home town. All of the single teens and adults coming together in the middle of the night to mingle and get to know each other, most of the time against their parent's wishes. Everyone always talked so highly of them, I had to try it once. It was the worst experience of my life...well, second worst experience of my life, right after being King Fischbach's servant.  
        As I stepped out of the carriage, I knew a ball was just a much fancier term to the parties we had back home. Better dresses and suits, more classy alcohol and food, more traditional dancing and more decorations, but the exact same thing for the most part. This was going to be absolutely horrible.  
        A sudden warmth encompassed my hand as i felt myself being pulled forward, "Stay close to me so you don't get lost." The king's deep voice whispered in my ear, my entire face heating up from the sensation of his breath in my ear and his hand holding mine. I mean, it was probably just the heat in the area from so many bodies in one place. Definitely.  
        I pull my hand from his, "I'm not a child." He laughs, drawing the attention from several people, who immediately stop their dancing and other activities to bow to him. He waved his hand so they went back to what they were doing and started making his way toward the area obviously meant for him. A large chair sat on a raised platform, candles in a half circle around it. I stand patiently besides him as he sits in it.  
        There were already girls eyeing him and giggling, it was only a matter of time before they started lining up, pining for him and trying to get his attention. What a bother, I hate girls sometimes.  
        My attention was immediately removed from the girls to the beautiful blue-eyed man who was offering King Fischbach a glass of wine. "My family had it imported from the lower cities, by the family with the best grapes. Their soil is practically magic."  
        The king smiled, accepting the glass, "Thank you, keep up the good work."  
        The younger man bowed, throwing a quick glance at me, winking and returning to the party. I blushed, holding back a giggle. Any giddiness caused by the small encounter was erased the minute the first older man leading a much younger girl stepped up to the king. Her dark blonde hair and brown eyes twinkled as she bowed along with her father, bending at her perfect waistline, making me slightly self-conscious as I brushed my hand over my thicker one. Not only do parties suck in general, but this one was going to make me feel like absolute crap. Fantastic.  
        My eyes flashed to King Fischbach as he stood, holding his glass out to me without looking at me as he smiled at the girl. I held back a sigh as I took it, the wine sloshing around slightly. He placed her hand at the crook of his elbow and lead her to where others were dancing. I watched as he took her hand in his and placed his hand on her waist, then tore my eyes away after that, looking at the glass in my hands.  
        The reddish liquid looked thick and hard to swallow, not to mention abundant since he appeared to not have drunk very much. I hesitantly brought the edge of the glass to my lips, sipping at the wine. It was bitter on my tongue, almost making me gag. I swallowed it anyway, relaxing slightly at the tingling it left in my throat and stomach, slowly spreading through my body. Still tasted gross though.  
        "He looks like such a strong lead." Whispering broke through my thoughts. My head turned to the small group of girls watching him dance. " He looks so strong and handsome." A dark skinned red head whispered again, probably the one to speak the first time.  
        "An such an exotic sounding name!" A brunette whispered back, placing a pale hand against a pale forehead, "Fischbach."  
        I almost laughed, if only they knew his first name was Mark. And his middle name Edward. They wouldn't think he was so exotic then. Or maybe they would, hell if I know. How many of them just like him for the money and the popularity anyway?  
        The girls squeal as King Fischbach bows to his partner and returns to his seat. I give him his glass back, which he takes a big gulp from, "That bad?"  
        He chuckles under his breath, "Her father wanted me to marry her....she didn't even try to talk about anything but how much money I had." I could practically hear him roll his eyes.  
        He didn't get up to dance with the other girls, but he did talk to them, having them laugh, annoyingly, at all his jokes. I couldn't even point out how unfunny they were. I gave up trying to be a good servant by the time he started flirting with them, letting them feel his arms, whispering things in their ears that made them giggle.What a pretentious jerk.  
        "You look bit exasperated, miss." A gentle voice cooed. I look up, seeing the blonde man from earlier, "And absolutely bored. Would you care for a dance?" He held his hand out to me.  
        "I'm not very good at dancing." I warned him.  
        "No problems, I'm an excellent dancer, you'll be in good hands." He gave me a dazzling smile. I returned it, placing my hand in his, letting him pull me forward. I placed my hand on his shoulder as he placed one on my waist. As he lead me in a dance, his smile widened, "You're an amazing dancer."  
        I blush, "You're lying for my benefit."  
        "Whatever you want to believe," He replies with a shrug, eyes roaming up to my head, "Why don't you let your hair down and have a little fun?"  
        I nervously run my hand over the bun on the back of my head. I've been putting my hair up for a while, since it made it easier to clean and cook and whatever else King Fischbach insisted, "I'm still on duty for the king, I would rather not get in trouble."  
        He raises an eyebrow, "You might get in trouble already." He pointedly looks at the kings chair. I follow his eyes, only to feel my dark blue ones come into contact with chocolate brown ones. There was a fire behind them that wasn't present anywhere else on King Fischbach's face. He had a good poker face.   
        "Oops." I whispered under my breath. The gentleman I was dancing with guided my face back to him, his blue eyes not as intimidating.   
        "I'm Sebastian. You were a wonderful dance partner, my lady." He bows and kisses the back of my hand before standing straight again and pulling my towards him, "You'd make an excellent wife, I must find your father."   
        I blush as I step way from him, curtsying, "Good luck with that." I make my way back to the king's side, ignoring the glare he was giving me. A lot of the girls had moved back, staring at others who try to get him to talk again, but he just silently stared ahead till all of them backed off and went back to mingling with the other men.  
        "Why were you dancing with that boy?" King Fischbach's deep voice hissed at me.  
        I hold back a smile at the venom in his voice, "He offered, I accepted. It's not like you needed me anyway." Even I noticed the small amount of hurt lacing my voice at the end. I have no idea where it came from, but all animosity coming from him immediately ceased.   
        "Edana-"  
        "Like you said, dozens of suitors, right?"  
        He frowned, not saying anything. There is no reason he can be able to flirt and I can't. I hold back the resentment I felt boil up in my gut. I felt his eyes on me again, and glanced over out of habit. Instead of the frown, he now had a nervous smile on his face, rising from his chair and facing me, his hand stretching out towards me, "Well, since I need a break from sitting anyway, will you accompany me in a dance?"  
        My eyes dart up to his face, shock probably clear on mine. Was this a joke? Or April 1st maybe? Was he trying to make fun of me or something? Despite my reservations, I took it anyway, his hand engulfing mine. His tan skin made mine look pale, his hands softer than my calloused ones. He confidently lead my forward, to the back where there were less people to gawk at him. I avoided his eyes as he positioned his arms, suddenly feeling awkward. My heart felt like it had jumped into my throat, even more so when his hand touched the small of my back instead of my waist, pulling us closer than I was with Sebastian.   
        "I'll admit I kind of regret agreeing to come to this." He whispers as we start to dance.  
        "Parties are hardly ever fun anyway." I point out.  
        He sighs, "My dad was an amazing king. Everyone loved him, he attended things like this all the time. Solved a lot of problems...I have big shoes to fill."  
        I look up, meeting his eyes, "I don't know what you're worried about. Lot's of the women here are absolutely smitten with you." I don't know why I felt the need to comfort him. What he was saying was true...I guess I just understood the pressure parents can put on their kids. My mind flashes back to Alistair, the brown eyes in front of me similar to my bother's. But not really, Alistair's eyes were closer to the color of whiskey, nothing like the chocolate that swam in the depths of Mark's.... I mean King Fischbach's.  
        He shakes his head, eyes not leaving mine, "That never mattered to me. They're not pining for me, they're pining at the idea of me. A king, with riches and subjects..." He twirls me.  
        "If it makes you feel any better, I despise you."  
        A quick smile flashes across his face, "Am I ever going to find out what I did that brought on your hatred?"  
        "Probably not." I couldn't help but smile with him.  
        "Well, I find you mildly tolerable. When you're not being moody you can be decent." His smile grows, becoming more genuine than the smaller one.  
        "I'm always moody around you."  
        "I'm aware."   
        I couldn't help the giggle that made it's way past my lips, "Then how do you know I'm tolerable when I'm not moody?"  
        He cocks his head to the side, "Well I see and hear how the other servants talk about you. They like you and think you're really sweet, which I don't think is true in the slightest by the way. I also know that you're being pretty tolerable at this moment."   
        I felt a blush reach my cheeks, "I guess I don't completely hate you right now either. Just slightly hate you."  
        "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."  
        "Your jokes aren't funny."  
        "There's the Edana I'm use to. I was worried for a second I sweeped up the wrong girl for a moment."  
        I roll my eyes, "We've been dancing longer than you danced with the other girls."  
        "Oh, have we?" He didn't appear to be stopping.  
        "You're going to make those girls jealous."  
        He pulls me closer for a fraction of a second, the playfulness behind his eyes turning into an unfamiliar fire for a second as he stared into my eyes. Then he let me go. "You're right. I guess I lost track... We should probably be leaving anyway." Without saying another word, he turns and makes his way back to the carriage.  
        Ignoring the disappointed sighs of multiple women, I follow quickly after him trying to understand what the hell just happened.


	14. Dungeons

    I hadn't been unpacked for two seconds before I turn to someone shoving a bucket of water and a scrub brush in my hands. Right, the stupid deal I made. Great.  
   "King Fischbach has ordered-"   
    "I know what his orders are." I snapped, not meaning to be as harsh as I actually was. This boy is just doing his job. I take a deep breath to calm down, giving him a small smile, "Thank you for this."  
    He bows slightly, hurrying away. I probably scared him, poor kid. He seemed a little young to be working there, though. He couldn't have been mire than 12. Maybe another servant's kid? Well, none of my business, not like I'd probably see him again anyway.  
I luged my bucket out of the room and down the hall before I realized I had no idea where the dungeon even was. After being in a small cabin for the last couple days, the castle seemed huge.  
    "Can I help you with anything?" A familiar voice asked. I look up to see Shiloh, her hair in a nice braid, nicer than normal. She must be the kings lead until my work is done. Bet she's thrilled about that.  
    "Do you know where this dungeon is suppose to be?" I asked, picking the bucket up.  
She giggles, "It's at the very very end of the servant hallway, last door on the left."  
I groan, I was literally just there! I mumble a thank you and stagger my way back, practically retracing my steps.  
    The weight decreased slightly, making me look up. Shiloh had half the bucket in her arms while the other half were in her arms, "You look like you were struggling." She giggles.  
    "Yeah yeah yeah." I would wave her off but my hands were full.  
    "Are you scared?"  
    "Of what?"  
    She looked at me with wide eyes, "The dungeon, silly!"  
    "Why would I be scared?"  
    She giggles again, "Have you heard that King Fischbach had a twin brother? It is said that his twin was locked down there for the rest of his life due to trying to poison their father.  
    "He was obsessed with power, he would've killed his father and his brothers to be king. All of us are scared to think what would've happened if he had succeeded. No one even knows where he got the poison from in the first place." She frowns as she finishes, then continues walking, practically dragging me behind her. "The guards that patrol down there during their shift says he can be a bit intense..."  
    I thought of the look in Mark's eyes when he was furious and shivered. That was intense...so his brother would be more so, wouldn't he?  
    "Don't worry, King Fischbach's brother is chained to the wall. You won't have to worry about it." She releases the bucket, almost causing me to fall at the sudden weight, "Good luck with your cleaning!" She waved as she made her way back down the hall.  
I look at the mahogany door in front of me and sigh, struggling to grab the handle and open it. And then all those stupid steps. And the chill. And the whistle of the wind. Why did I agree to this....  
    I resorted to dragging the bucket with me across the ground instead of carrying it. Most of the cells I passed were empty, and didn't look dirty, so I saw no point in cleaning something that didn't need to be cleaned. At least I would have to serve King Brat today. So I can take my sweet type doing whatever I wanted.  
    I lazily grabbed the brush out of the bucket, shaking some of the water off, before scrubbing a particularly dirty wall. The dungeon, besides the whistling, was pretty quiet. There are barely anyone actually in these cells, crime happens almost never here. It still happens, but it's very rare. I stopped scrubbing and glanced down the hall, thinking about what Shiloh had said earlier. Mark having a twin could easily be a rumor. Only one way to find out.  
    I took the handle of my bucket and dragged it along the hall, making my way to the last cells. The prisoners starred, but didn't say anything. I easily ignored them, stopping at the last cell. If I had to keep a prisoner for life, this is where I would put them...then again this is King Fischbach we're talking about here. He does the opposite of what I would do. All the time. Annoying rich man.  
    I sigh, pretending to clean a nearby wall while looking into the cell. It wasn't well let down here so it was nearly impossible to see all of the cell. Huh, maybe it is just a rumor. Wouldn't be the first time my curiosity took me somewhere bad- "Are you just going to pretend to clean or are you actually going to come over here, my dear?"  
    Oh crap, King Fischbach must have saw I wasn't cleaning. I pause and sheepishly look for the sound of my voice, half expecting him to be right behind me somehow. When I didn't see him, I paused and glanced at the cell. There was now an almost clear view of someone that looked like King Fischbach, but also didn't. He was paler, eyes darker, skinnier but fit. Most distinguishably, two cuffs and a chain leading from each one heading off into the darkness.  
    He stepped closer to the bars, almost able to touch them but not quite, and beckoned me over to him. I swallowed the pit of fear that formed and hesitantly walked closer to the cell bars. Just the aura surrounding the king's twin told me I'd be dead if it wasn't for the bars and chain holding the man in front of me.  
    "So you're the new lead servant all the guards have been talking about. Mark picked himself a pretty little one this time, shame though. I liked Doug, though his curiosity was never as great as yours. Interesting."  
    "I don't have a key to the cells or anything." I warned him, figuring it is better to be straightforward about it instead of pretending it wasn't what he was after.  
    He frowns, making his way to the right of me, "Now now now Edana, you really shouldn't speak to me like that." He smiled, well, more like bared his teeth than a smile, "I get stronger everyday. When I get out if here, the people I like won't die. So I suggest, for your sake, you don't snap at me."  
    Of course instead of scaring me it just made me want to snap at him again, despite the fear I still had. But my natural dislike at being ordered around took over the fear, "Listen I don't know who you think you are but the only person I take orders from is King Fischbach, and it's because I have no other choice. So if you think I'm going to take any sort of order or 'request' from you or any other stuck up, overly cocky rich kid you've got another thing coming."  
    The sudden sound of his laugh echoing through the dungeon filled my ears, causing my to cross my arms, totally not pouting at all. I don't like being laughed at.  
    "You're a feisty one, I'll give you that." The left side of his mouth lifted, almost like a smirk, but much more sinister. Suddenly he was there, hand bunched around the middle of my uniform dress, pulling me against the bars, his face suddenly much closer, "You could make my little massacre much more interesting, that's for sure." He purred in my ear, nose against my neck.  
    In my defense, I had no idea his chains were long enough for him to reach the bars. in hindsight maybe it was a bad idea to approach him in the first place.  
    "Let go of my servant, Dark." King Fischbach hissed from behind me.  
    "Relax Mark, we were just having a little fun, weren't we?" He roughly grabs my chin, making me wince. Warm arms wrapped around my waist, easily pulling me from Dark's grip. I was gently shiver back a little, Mark standing in front of me, putting him between his brother and I as he started escorting me out. Pssh, I totally had the situation under control. I totally would've gotten out of it....somehow.  
    I frown, "I'm not some damsel in distress that needed saving."  
    "Oh yeah, he totally didn't look like he was about to snap your neck and there was nothing you could do about it." He sighs, rubbing his temples, "I should've put more thought into this punishment. Of course you would find a way to almost get killed while cleaning."  
    "It's not my fault! Some warning about your twin would have been nice!"  
    "No one forced you to go over there."   
    He was right about that part, and I hated it, "Whatever."  
    He sighs, "You know you claim I'm a brat, yet you act more bratty than any other servant, no scratch that, any other person I've met."  
    That was all it took to make me practically fuming, "At least anything I've ever had I earned instead of having it handed to me on a silver platter!"  
    "At least I have a silver platter. What's the nicest thing you own, the uniform I gave you?"  
    "Well the lack of nice things means my friends don't like me just for my money! Because I'm worth more than just some money bag!"  
    He didn't answer after that, just stared with unbelievable anger in his eyes and arms crossed. I stared back, my own fury probably shining back at him. He scowled and stomped away, "You better be on time tomorrow. Wouldn't want my money, apparently the only thing I'm good for, to go to waste." He called over his shoulder.  
    "Don't worry, I'll make sure I wear the nicest thing I own for serving you, your majesty." I hollard back with a faux, over dramatic courtsy, stomping my way back to my room not long after.


	15. Breaking the Routine

        It was a quiet couple weeks, after our fight. King Fischbach barely spoke to me, besides to bark an order or request something of me. No more attempts at conversation or small smiles thrown at me for doing the best I could. He barely even made eye contact with me, it's those things you don't noticed or think you'll miss till they're gone.  
        Don't get me wrong, I'm happy he backed off and stopped trying to be my friend... Except I'm not sure I'm as happy as I thought I would be, as happy as I should be. I kind of missed his smile, the way he'd laugh, and it's pretty lonely when you have no chance to talk to anyone else while on duty. Except him and his stupid jokes he mostly tells himself and his stupid cocky attitude.  
        I'm not the type of person to apologize, especially when the other person started it, but it gets overwhelming when you have to stand all day in silence. King Fischbach was lazily working through his meal- Fish, since there was a big haul of salmon from the river inland so the castle had more than enough- when I broke the silence with my reluctant words, "I'm sorry sir, I don't like this awkwardness and the behavior shown to me this past few weeks so I have to say this. I shouldn't have said what I did but I was angry and-" He immediately stopped chewing. My confidence wavered, which is what cut me off.  
        He glances out the windows, swallowing roughly, "Go get another plate and put it across from me." I bit my lip, placing the jug of water on the table and quickly grabbing another plate, doing exactly as he said, also placing silverware, "Get another serving and and put it on the plate."  
         More than slightly confused by these sudden orders, I do as I'm told. He obviously doesn't want my apology or have any desire to fix what he broke, or what I broke, there must be another reason for the orders though. Is he meeting someone? This fact would've been nice to know, I could've made more....there won't be leftovers tonight. I didn't need to eat dinner tonight anyway, we use to go days without anything, I can last the rest of tonight.  
        I took my place behind him again, jug back in my hands. He quickly stood, walking to the other wide of the table and pulling the chair out, looking at me expectantly. It took me a minute to even register what he wanted me to do, the change so different from what's been going on. I hesitantly sat in the chair as he scooted it in.  
        As he retook his seat, a slightly smug expression graced his face, "I was waiting for you to crack. I figured I apologize to you a lot and thought it would be a nice change to hear you say it."  
          That manipulative brat. Before I could open my mouth to tell him exactly what I thought about it, he cut me off, "I can tell you're angry now, and I understand why, but you haven't even heard my offer. A truce everyday, if you see it fit to call it that."  
           I give in with and exasperated sigh, "Fine, what is your proposal?"  
           A glint makes it way into his eyes as he absentmindedly cut more of his salmon, "Eat the last meal of the day with me like this everyday, except on formal occasions or with guests over." He leans forward a bit, sincerity reflected deep in his chocolate irises, "That time we danced together a couple weeks ago was refreshing, and I'd like more opportunities to talk to you without your malice. I still don't know why you hate me, but I want us to be friends."  
           I glance down at the plate in front of me, thinking over his proposition. I wouldn't mind eating a good, fresh meal every night instead of stale leftovers that sometimes get eaten by another staff member. Though having to actually have conversations with the king sounds like a huge frustration at the end of every day. In the end, my stomach won against my head, "Alright, sounds like a deal to me."  
          The smile that tugs at his lips left a fuzzy feeling in my chest. It might not be all bad to be friends with him. Pretentiousness aside, he could be decent.  
          I stop that train of thought, quickly but politely digging into the dish in front of me. Fish tastes so much better when it's fresh, and my seasoning was perfect, if I do say so myself. I only remembered I was on duty when I felt a pair of eye on me. I slowly look up, King Fischbach's amused face coming into view.  
        "Someone's hungry." He teases lightly. I could tell by the look in his eyes he still wasn't really happy with me. There was no point in apologizing again, despite how much I felt the need to.  
        I shrug at him, avoiding his eyes, "Old habits die hard. I'm still not use to almost always having food every night..." I trail off, lost in thought.  
        I feel his eyes on my face. I look over to see the surprised expression on his face, the hint of regret a guilt swimming in the depths of his eyes. "Your family didn't always get to eat?"  
        Raising an eyebrow, I shake my head, "A lot of families in our neighborhood didn't get to eat. Not enough jobs, and food is pretty expensive down there since there aren't any farmers in that area. Not to mention bad roads, sickness, and occasionally fires." I took another bite of the fish, making eye contact with him; this entire situation made me uncomfortable. I wasn't use to having his eyes on me for so long. They're intensity was intimidating, nothing like anyone I've ever met. What was it about him? What made him seem so different from everyone else I met. Even Antonio wasn't like this.  
        He cleared his throat, making me realize my eyes had wandered down his face to his slightly parted, soft looking, light pink lips. I frown at myself, moving my eyes to my plate, "I wasn't aware everything was so bad where you came from. I should look into that." He mutters as I felt my hands clench into fists on my lap at his words.   
        "Yeah, Fischbach, you should."  
        He picked up on the venom in my voice pretty quickly, causing his beautiful eyes to widen slightly, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you.  wasn't aware it would anger you, calm down for me. Please?" What I hated the most, above everything else... was that it worked. Despite the anger I feel towards him, the anger I wanted to feel toward him, his soft voice ebbed it away, bringing forth something I rather not feel. It was too soon.  
        If I didn't my anger toward the king blocking it out, the grief for my mother made itself known, like an ugly spider hanging on it's sticky web in front of me. I needed the wall of fury back. I wasn't ready to deal with her death, not yet I don't care how long it's been  
        I uncurled my fists, holding back tears, standing and grabbing his empty plate before placing my half empty one on top of it. I wasn't going to cry in front of this man, so if that meant clearing the dishes today instead of Shiloh, so be it.  
        "Hey!" He called as I made my way to the kitchen.  
        "I'll be back out." I mumbled, barely loud enough for him to hear, before moving to the other room. I place the plates down on a nearby counter before slowly sinking to my knees. I stubbornly wiped at the warm tear that made it's way down my face. I'm not going to let myself loose it now. He's the one that made the medicine too expensive. He did this, that's why I can't trust him. Not him. Not Mark or his family or his stupid castle.  
        "Edana?" I jump, quickly getting back on my feet. King Fischbach, like his first name summoned him, stood in the doorway. Concern laced his voice and was present in his eyes. But my wall was back, his voice won't melt me again. I won't let it.  
        "I'm fine." I snap. He looked awkwardly at his feet, arms twitching slightly, like he wasn't sue if he should offer me a hug.  
        "Uh, we should get going." He murmurs, running his hand through his hair, distracting me for a second. He was a distracting person, one of the reasons my job was so hard to do.  
        I sigh, shuffling closer to him, signalling him to lead the way. He nods slightly and begins the short walk to the throne room. I follow, not more than a foot away from him...but also not closer than a foot either. Just like always. Then that brat did the stupidest thing. He slowed down for me, walking beside me instead of in front of me. Did he think because he caught me crying that I am not vulnerable and in need of someone? He had another thing coming if he thought I would go down so easily, especially to him.  
        I let him walk beside me anyway, it was better than staring into his backside the entire walk.  
        Once we were in the room, he took his seat and I stood. Just like normal. The normal that he kept breaking. For some reason today, normal was not on the schedule. So many people were coming in to talk with him, ranging from marriage proposals to stubborn children to unfair salesmen and sleazy drunks. At least my dad wasn't as bad as some of these men. Father worked hard to provide for us, and me working here helped him and my brother a lot. That is what's keeping me from leaving here so quickly.  
        The king didn't get the chance to sit till the commotion died down, and when he didn't have a visitor in a couple minutes, he made his way to the chair and sat with a huff, gratefully taking a glass of water from me and downing it. Not two minutes after he sat down did two guards storm in with a man in between them, struggling from their grip, "King Fischbach, sir, we have found a spy in the castle trying to talk to one of the servants."  
        The king cursed under his breath, placing his cup back on my tray where I kept myself busy refilling it, "I'm getting tired of Dramany and it's king. Keemstar needs to learn to keep his nose out of my business." He sighs, the fire I imagine that was probably in his eyes slowly dying down. "Throw the spy in the dungeon, one of you can question him later."  
        The memory of the dungeon sends a shiver down my spine. I could live a long, happy life if I never had to step foot in that place again.  
        The guards force the man out of the room, and my curiosity gets the best of my, I lean over, peeking at King Fischbach, "Does this happen often?"  
        He rubs his face, "Yeah, it does. Not so much me as it does to some of the others. The king of Dramany likes trying to pin people and the citizens of those people against one ruler or another. His intent is to rule over everything by destroying other countries from the inside. It's borderline war creating at this point." The drained look on his face was enough to tell me this has obviously caused problems for him or one of his friends before. He drops his head into his hands, an attempt at regaining his composer probably.  
        What do I do in this situation? We weren't really friends so I'm not sure if hugging him was appropriate... not that I wanted to hug him, but that was a social norm with friends. I definitely didn't want to be that close to his body, that would be weird. Instead, I decided to give a pathetic pat on his left shoulder, something harmless. He tensed for a second, then realized it was me and relaxed, fixating me with his intoxicating eyes. His right hand moved across his chest to cover my hand with his bigger one.  
        I moved it before he had a chance.


	16. King MvLoughlin

        "Believe me, Edana. It's very important!" King Fischbach wined, continuing to hold the bucket out to me.  
        "On a list of stupid things you have had me do, this would be the stupidest." I argued, taking the bucket from him in a huff.  
        "I don't make you do stupid things." He pouted, looking down at me with puppy dog eyes.  
        "You're making me fill a bucket with ocean water."  
        "Two buckets." He nudged another one sitting by his foot, accidentally flinging sand to the side a bit.  
        The king had insisted after breakfast that morning hat we had to get some important supplies from the nearby beach. I figured a short walk wouldn't be so bad and the ocean looks really pretty anyway, so might as well. If I had known he was going to get distracted by every little thing on the way there and then insist that we were there to get water, I would've fought him a lot more. We didn't even get to take the horses either, much to my disappointment.   
        I regathered my current bearings, grabbing one bucket and removing both of my shoes, unceremoniously dumping the pretty flats in the sand, "I'll fill on bucket and you can do the other. Get this done quickly so we can go home."  
        When he doesn't make a move to grab the other bucket, I glance back at him. I was about to make a snarky comment about him having to lift a finger for once, but then I realized his face has gone pale, "What's wrong?" I mentally cursed the sound of concern in my voice.  
        He gave a nervous smile, rubbing the back of his neck, "I, uh, might have a slight tiny itty bitty fear of the ocean."  
        Any concern vanished, making me roll my eyes, "We're not going that deep, walnut."  
        He scowled, "Just do both of them for me. It's your job."  
        I grumbled as I fetched the other bucket, resisting he urge to stomp over to the moving water. Gathering my uniform dress into one hand above my knees, buckets in the other hand, I began to wade my way into the cold salt water.  
        As I began to feel water rush into the buckets, I looked back where King Fischbach was watching, "What do you need salt water for anyway?" I yelled.  
        "I've been standing a lot so my feet have been hurting. Salt water helps relieve the soreness, according to the local healer." He yelled back, examining his nail beds.  
        I freeze, grounding my teeth, "You made me come all the way out here, to a giant body filled with salt water, to bring it back to the castle? You're kidding, right? Just stick your feet in while sitting on one of these!" I gesture to he buckets in my hand.  
        He made a face, "Eww no. There might be jellyfish in there."  
        "Fischbach I swear-" The sudden pressure against my back cut me off just before I felt myself loose balance and fall into the water. Stupid wave, catching me by surprise. My face broke back through the water as the tide receded, making me cough and sputter at the salty taste in my mouth. I squeaked as I sudden felt hands under my arms, pulling me to my feet before another wave could pull me under again.  
        King Fischbach's worried gaze came into view when I rubbed my eyes, "Edana? Are you okay?!"  
        I brush my hair out of my face, ignoring another wave that futilely crashed into both of our sides, "Absolutely dandy. And look, you made it to the water."  
        The worry vanished in his face, replaced with anger, "You tricked me into coming in!"  
        I giggled, "No, that was a complete accident, Fischbach. You're just an idiot."  
        "Mark. I mean, you can call me by my first name. You know, being friends and all."  
        That's when I became painfully aware of his arms around my waist and how I was flushed against his chest. I felt warmth in my cheeks, gently pushing his arms away, "I never agreed on being your friend. Only on the truce."  
        "Well I want to be friends. And I'll keep trying whether you like it or not."  
        I sigh, giving in for now and make my way back to the shore. He quickly follows. We pause at the shore when we see a servant running towards us, apparently out of breath.  
        "King Fischbach!" He huffed, "You have a visitor."  
        The king scrunched his face up, "You came all the way out here to tell me that? You visiting hours aren't until later."  
        The servant smiled, "This isn't a normal visitor, sir."  
        He sighs, sweeping his arm in front of him, "Lead the way then." The servant smiled and started marching back in the direction of castle entrance, both of us following- slightly having difficulty due to the wet clothes. I felt better once we were inside the castle anyway. It makes it easier to forget what happened at the beach. I don't even care that we left the buckets.  
        As we entered the throne room, our focus went right on the man in the middle. Instead of an over shirt and an undershirt, like what King Fischbach wore, he had only one black shirt piece that was cinched at his waist and flared out a bit below it with a shinier, lighter material. He had poofy black pants that didn't show the shape of his thighs much. They were tucked into a pair of long boots that stop at the knee, a dark green cloak surrounding his entire lean form. He was much thinner than King Fischbach, and shorter. His light brown hair, almost greyish looking, was cut short, his blue eyes lighting up when we walk in.  
        King Fischbach stopped in his tracks, "Jack?"  
        "Mark! Long time no see." He said loudly, laughing.  
        I feel myself blush and smile, suddenly a little giddy. Sean "Jack" Mcloughlin was the king of the country of Septica. What I liked about him is that it wasn't handed to him like Fischbach's was. He moved to the country from a place called Ireland when he was my age and was educated there due to having a noble family. He made friends with the prince of the country before the prince was assassinated by an unknown person. He was given the country due to the prince being to young to have an other heirs. King Jack, as he prefers to be called, has run the country since. He did a good job at it to, if I had a choice I would've moved there ages ago. I'm surprised the maiden he's currently courting, Signe, didn't come with him.  
        King Fischbach briefly hugged the smaller man, his smile lighting up the room, "What a pleasant surprise! Aren't you busy this time of year?"  
        Jack sighs, "Yeah, very busy in fact." He lifts an eyebrow at the king, "Why are you completely soaked?"  
        King Fischbach glances back at me briefly, sending a small, breathtaking smile my way, "My lead servant and I were getting water from the ocean." He gestured for me to come up next to him.  
        I bristled slightly, but kept my mouth shut as I made my way over to him. I would've made a comment about how I was the one getting water from the ocean while he stood back and watched because he was a little brat. Well...until he came over and made sure I didn't drown. I blush slightly at the memory, ignoring the new thoughts entering my head in favor of curtsying to our royal guess.  
        "What's your name?" Sean asked after he waved me off, his accent catching on his words a bit.  
        I smiled, one of the few genuine ones I've had since working here, "Edana Pepperman."  
        He returned my smile eagerly, "Pleasure meeting you. I hope Mark isn't being too needy." He says with a playful wink and echoing laugh.    
        I couldn't help he small giggle that passed my lips. I suddenly get a face full of King Fischbach's back as he steps between us, A quick glance up revealing the scowl on his lips, "Alright that's enough. Edana, will you make sure the guest bedroom is presentable for Jack to stay in?"  
        I sigh and begin to turn away till I feel a hand grab my shoulder and pull me back into a hug, King Fischbach suddenly filling up my vision, his eyes wide. It doesn't take me long to realize the King Mcloughlin had grabbed on to me and was currently nuzzling his face into my neck, "Maaaark don't send her away! I like your new servant. Can't you get someone else to do it?" He whined.  
        King Fischbach looked exasperated as his eyes moved from me to Jack and back again. He opens his mouth, then closes it again, looking a bit like a fish out of water. In the end he sighs, "I guess she can stay. But she still is going to cook dinner for us later." He looked over his shoulder, "Shiloh, could you kindly go make sure the guest bedroom is presentable? Thank you." He purred, smirking at her flushed face and how she almost tripped leaving the room.  
        "You're a jerk, you know that." I point out, making Jack chuckle.  
        "Hey, I'm letting you stay with us. Just don't be distracting, got it?"  
        I fake salute at him, "Yes sir."  
        Satisfied, Sean let's go of me, which lead Mark to timidly pull me back towards him. I decided not to comment on it, mostly because the wetness of my clothing was making me cold and the warmth of him against my back felt nice. That was the only reason.  
        "Anyway, my visit here isn't suppose to be just for fun and games." Jack sighs, expression suddenly serious.  
        "What is it Jack?" Mark boomed, obviously concerned.  
        "As you know...Felix can get a bit ahead of himself. There was a very brief war between him and another country. They parted ways with no harm done...Except Keemstar recorded it all for his and other countries to see." He sighs, looking up a his friend, "I'm worried there might be a bigger war brewing, Keem seems to be becoming more active and it worries me. He mentioned you too."  
        "Me? I didn't do anything." King Fischbach pointed out.  
        "His spies supposedly caught win from somebody that you had taken some girl back to your cabin a couple weeks ago from a party and that you got her pregnant out of wedlock. Even though I know it's false, the rumor is spreading. I'm surprised you haven't caught wind of it yet."  
        I look up again, seeing understanding light up his eyes, "I left a party early with Edana a couple weeks ago. He must not know about my new servant." The bigger king rolls his eyes, obviously no longer concerned. "But since you're here we can relax a bit, maybe swing by a pub or do some horseback riding. I know how much you love getting drunk." He teased.  
        Jack, no longer so sullen, rolls his eyes, "I swear Mark," A smile lights up his face, his blue eyes flicking to me, "Edana! You should join Mark and I for some wine."  
        I stiffen slightly in surprise, eyes flicking up to Mark to gauge his reaction. He just stares back, raising an eyebrow. In that moment, due to the angle and the lighting, he looked irrevocably stunning. His drying hair, the way his clothes still stuck to his body, the feeling of his muscles, even through the little bit of contact my back had with them. I suddenly was hyper-aware of that little contact, the warmth I briefly registered before suddenly searing my skin, feeling like a physical burn, except in my very being instead of my skin.  
        I jump slightly away from him, the unfamiliar and strong emotion that suddenly burned through me making me feel dizzy, "I shouldn't, uh, join you guys. I actually need to get started on supper since we have a guest anyway." I rambled, already heading towards the door.   
        "Alright. Don't burn yourself!" I hear Mark call after me, almost making me stop in my tracks, a ghost of the burning sensation brought on by him traveling up my spine. When he was in the ocean with me earlier he must of done something to me. That's the only explanation. Or maybe I haven't entertained my dislike of him so I was surprised by the intensity because I haven't felt it in a while. But that doesn't explain how unfamiliar it felt.  
        I ran into the doorway of the kitchen, my mind on autopilot till that point. I shook my head, trying to get the thoughts of that prick out of my head. Maybe I was catching a cold from being soaked for so long, though my dress was starting to dry now. I sigh as I started looking for some sort of special dish to make.  
        As I started to prepare the deep brown chocolate dessert next to the chicken we had, I ignored my mind supplying Mar- King Fischbach's eyes were the same color.


	17. Don't you?

        My much needed rest was interrupted by a continuous knocking at my chamber door. I groan as I make my way half asleep to the door, opening it with a yawn, "Yes?"  
        "Oh good, you're up." An accented voice piped.  
        "Not really." I sigh, now able to see Jack's form, "Why are you knocking at my door so late at night?"  
        Jack sighs, "Can't sleep. The time difference is, like, eight hours or something like that. May I come in?"  
        I nod, stepping out of the way as he walks in, shutting the door behind him once he's inside. I feel kind of bad for not talking to them much after I excused myself to prepare dinner. Mark just distracted me too much with the stupid feeling he put in my gut. He had to have poisoned me.  
        "So why did you come here instead of to King Fischbach?" I asked as I stretched my arms.  
        Jack perks up, "Oh yeah, I wanted to talk to about something." Uh oh did I do something wrong? Did King Fischbach say something? If he has a problem with me I don't care he's the king I'll fight him... "Nothing bad I promise!" He quickly follows, probably reading an expression on my face.  
        "Then....ask away I guess." I murmur, leaning against the wall  
        "You're in love with Mark aren't you?"  
        I stared blankly at Jack, the words having a hard time registering in my brain. In love? With King Fischbach? That's a joke right? "Quite the opposite actually." I snap.  
        Jack chuckles, "Yeah, right. I know what love looks like Edana. I see it with Pewds and Marzia, I feel it every time I look at Signe. You got it and you got it hard."  
        I push off the wall, shaking my head, "No no no, no offence King McLouglin but I hate King Fischbach. I think you've confused the two because you don't know me that well."  
        "Then why do you hate him so much?" He raises an eyebrow.  
        I turn away, "Personal reasons."  
        "If you hate him then what's this?" He holds up a piece of paper I remember crumbling up and throwing off the the side a couple nights ago. The drawing of King Fischbach was incomplete because I only finished the face and neck before I realized what my traitorous hands were drawing. I snatch the paper away and fold my arms.  
        He chuckles and walks over to me, ruffling my hair, "You know, part of my schooling taught me that anger is a secondary emotion, a mask for pain. I don't know what he did to hurt you so bad, and from what he tells me he doesn't know either. He says you never give him a chance at being friends. Part of that is probably because you have feelings for him that you don't want to admit, but this anger is holding you back. Maybe you should let it go a bit, see how Mark looks without the red tint, how about that?"  
        I pause, "You guys talked about me?"  
        Jack smirks, "Oh yeah, Mark talks about you a lot. You'd be surprised. He really wants to get on your good side, all I ask is that you try being his friend, okay?"  
        "...Fine. I'll try to be his friend, I guess." I say with a sigh.  
        He bounces happily and hugs me, "Good! See you tomorrow at breakfast!" And with that he let's go of me and makes his way to the door, winking before exiting, the door slamming shut behind him.  
        "Stupid smooth talking royalty." I murmur under my breath before heading back to my bed for some more shut eye.  
\------------------------------------------------------

        I lay breakfast down for both of the boys, trying desperately not to spill the gallon of milk on my tray. "-And that's how I got the first scar on my stomach." The king's baritone finishes, chuckling.  
        Jack was losing his head laughing, looking like he was about to fall out of his chair, "Not even I was that bad my first archery lesson." He gasps out, holding his sides.   
        "Oh hey Edana." King Fischbach says, obviously still very happy with the smaller man's reaction to whatever story he was telling. I'd seen the scars on his stomach myself, not the impressive if you ask me. "Would you like to sit and join in the conversation?"  
        I scoff, "No-" I'm interrupted by Jack, who coughed pointedly and made eye contact with me, trying to get a point across. I got the message loud and clear, begrudgingly saying, "Yeah I guess I could." I moved a couple chairs down from the king to sit.  
        "Hey I won't bite I promise." He states, smiling at me, his brown eyes soft and slightly surprised and confused. It reminded me of a puppy, making me sigh and move to the seat next to him. "There we go." His smile softens.  
        "We were just talking about archery. Have you ever taken archery?" Jack asked me, a smug look on his face. If he wasn't royalty I would've clocked him over the head by now.  
        "Uh no I never learned. Father taught my brother though. Alistair isn't very good though." I finish awkwardly, kind of confused on what I should be saying. Do I need to talk more about Alistair or is that too much? Friendship is hard.  
        "Well what do you like to do?" King Fischbach asks.   
        I look up to meet his dark orbs, distracting me with his eyes again, making it so I couldn't think before blurting out, "Horseback riding." I mentally slapped myself.  
        "Oh really? Do you want to take an expedition on horse some day?" He asks with a dazzling smile, brushing his hair back with his hand, giving me a full view of his bare, tanned forearm, pure muscle flexing, making my brain stop. I just stared. "Do you?"  
        Jack was snickering. That meanie. "I uh yeah sure whatever. " I tuck a strand of my own hair behind my ear, ignoring the heat in my cheeks. Jack is wrong I'm not in love I just...I'm probably getting sick.  
        Mark just smiles and turns back to Jack, going over the schedule. I half listened, refusing to look at Mark again. I don't believe in witchcraft but how else would this man that I'm obviously not in love with have this effect. I need to focus on getting some anti-hex items. That will make this feeling go away right?


	18. Archery Lessons

        "Fischbach I swear if you shoot me I'll come back from the dead and haunt you." I mutter as I follow the two kings to the arena. Jack was only going to stay for today and tomorrow before heading off again, so they wanted to have a friendly competition, hint the conversation from earlier.  
        "I've been practicing archery for years. There's no way I'll accidentally shoot an arrow backwards at you." King Fischbach claims, glancing back at me.  
        "Yeah. Accidentally."  
        "I wouldn't shoot you on purpose."  
        "Bet."  
        "Alright you two that's enough." Jack steps in, throwing an arm around my shoulders, "Mark isn't the one with ill intentions. We might let you try shooting a couple arrows if you promise not to shoot our beloved Mark in the head."  
        I pout, "Fine. But only because I want to learn."  
        As we approach the arena, guards jumping forward to open the heavy wooden doors for the two royal members of our trio, a line of targets comes into view, in the middle of a giant sand area here horse races, speeches, award ceremonies, and other big events are held. Mostly sports related events though. Hunting events take place somewhere else, other than that the magic happens here. King Fischbach walks forward confidently with perfect balance, smaller Jack following with fast steps and playfully pushing. Cue me in last, struggling to walk straight with two archery supplies bags while my foot constantly sinks with every step. If it wasn't for my mother's balance I would've fallen on my face already.  
        As I reach the men they quickly take their bags from me, racing to set up. I step back as King Fischbach's bow almost hits me in the head, muttering about how he did that on purpose. Jack, however, finishes first, taking aim and shooting, his bow landing in the second ring above the center.  
        "Ha, fail!" Fischbach yells, even though Jack wasn't that far from us.  
        "I'd like to see you do better!" Jack yells back, five times louder. This was going to be a long day. I wipe the sweat forming on my forehead from the glaring sun and take a couple steps away from the king as he takes aim.  
        "You know this isn't fair because you know my eyesight isn't the best!" Mark yells as he tries to aim. It is well known that King Fischbach has bad vision. He can see things close up just fine, but things far away look a little blurry, as he described it to me. Yet he still made bets that he could win things like this.   
        As he released the arrow, it sailed forward, hitting just a touch to the right from the center. I will give him this much, he knows how to aim with his vision problems, making him one of the best archers. One of the few things that impresses me.  
        "Take that!" He yelled in victory.As you can guess, that went on...for a while. Jack couldn't beat King Fischbach, and he knew this, but boy did he try. He only called it quits when they ran out of arrows and it was obvious Mark had the highest score.  
        "Edana! Your turn!" The king called as I returned with both of their arrows.  
        "I've never even shot an arrow before, there is no way I'm competing against you."  
        He threw me a smirk as he approached me with his bow, "I didn't say we were competing. There was a promise to teach you, and I think it's obvious who would be a better teacher."  
        "Yeah and it's not you."  
        "Edana please. Come over here."  
        I give King McLoughlin his arrows before going to King Fischbach with his, "Fine. What first?" I ask.  
        "First you need the correct stance. Since my bow is a right handed bow, your left foot is going to be closest to the target." I adjusted accordingly, making sure my feet were shoulder length apart. Sean came over and helped make sure my back held the correct posture and double check my stance again. I felt like I looked stupid, standing there without a bow while two men study me. Made me self-conscious too, why did I want to learn again? I finally got the bow and was able to test out what to do with my arms and chest.  
        As we moved on to taking my first shot, I nocked the arrow and took aim as both kings instructed. Ready to be the best on my first shot since it didn't look all that hard, I confidently let go of the arrow.  
        It completely missed, not even making it anywhere close to the target. I could hear King Fischbach snickering behind me, "Okay buddy why don't you help her get a feel for it?" I hear Jack suggest, elbowing the king when I glance back.  
        His blue eyes catch mine and he winks, causing me to frown. What is he planning? "Alright fine. Might work." King Fischbach mutters, and I hear his footsteps making their way toward me. What I wasn't expecting was for arms to be suddenly on top of mine. As Fischbach's much bigger hand wraps gently around the wrist holding the bow and drapes over my other hand holding the string, I feel the muscles under his skin flex. His chest and hips pressed into mine a bit as he leaned down so his head was more leveled with mine. I could feel my heartbeat in my chest and heat rising in my cheeks.  
        He adjusted the direction my arms were pointing and how far back a drew the string, his warm breath against my neck and shoulder. "Just like that." He whispered low in my ear. I shuddered as I felt his lips brush my ear slightly when he talked. He took a deep breath, the muscles of his chest pushing more against my back, so I could feel every line. My legs felt week, I wanted him to step away... I wanted him to never move from where we were now. His scent was overwhelming and made it hard to concentrate on anything but him. So when he said "Let go." I did.  
        It went right through the center. The sound of Jack cheering was blocked out from the blood rushing in my ears. I had dropped my arms and Mark and straightened but he was still touching me and I was so painfully aware of it.   
        "I-I'm going to go get water!" I announced as I rushed to get away from there as quickly as possible.  
        "But we have water!" Jack called in confusion. I ignored him, practically running to the castle to get as far away from King Fischbach as possible.  
        "Hey Edana! Your face looks super red, must be hot out there!" A servant washing the floors comments. I give him a pained smile and kept walking.   
        "You have no idea."


	19. Tension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! School and work have been kicking my ass hard.

          I held back a groan of frustration as King Fischbach entered the kitchen where I was preparing dinner; trying to be alone mostly, and get away from his supernatural charms. So of course he does the exact opposite of what I want.  
        "Jack was looking for you." He said, casually leaning against the counter.  
        "Hmphf." I grunted in response, focusing on the meat I was cooking in front of me. Deer was a bit more delicate to cook than cows, but had a nice flavor and a more unique texture. Totally the only reason I wasn't looking at the royalty in the room.  
        "I was looking for you too. We thought you might've gotten sick." I glanced at him slightly, only to see a smirk on his face, "Or maybe you got nervous?"  
        I scoffed, "Why would I be nervous of a stupid little sport. You know I was joking when I said I was nervous about you shooting me." The meat started to sizzle slightly.  
        He pushed off the counter and slowly stepped towards me, his movements slightly exaggerated, "Maybe something else made you nervous." He slowly ran a his fingers against the back of my neck. I felt my cheeks heat up and I start to tremble.  
        "Edana!" A sudden ball of energy crashed into my side, making me run into Mark, all three of us tumbling to the ground.  
        "Jack! I was cooking!" I jump up and check, on the meat, flipping it over before playfully glaring at Jack. But to be honest, I was very relieved to have the moment with King Fischbach interrupted. Jack was giggling, causing me to look back at the two men. My mouth fell open at the mess all around them. There was spices everywhere, covering some of my dress. But most of it landed on the guys. Jack was shaking a mint spice out of his hair, while King Fischbach was wiping paprika away from his eyes. I took the meat off the heat and went over to help the guys up, helping Jack first obviously.  
        As I get around to pulling the King Fischbach up, he sighs, "I'll have someone finish preparing the meal while you help me clean up. Thanks Sean for making my life more difficult." He teased.  
        Jack punched his arm playfully, "Fight me Mark."  
        The older king just shakes his head and grabs my arm, leading me away from the mess. Alone again. And headed to his bedroom. And my cheeks were almost as red as the top of King Fischbach's head- which was still covered in paprika -at the direction my thoughts were heading.  
        As he closed the door behind us, he slowly turned to me, "Sorry about that. Jack can be a bit much sometimes. He was just messing around. You're not hurt, right?"  
        I smile softly, "No I'm fine, and I didn't mind it. But now there is a giant mess all over the kitchen." I groan and drop my head into my hands, just thinking about how much work I would have to do to clean that up.  
        He chuckles, almost as if he was reading my thoughts, "I'll have some other servants clean it up. I have so many that don't even do all that much in the castle. They can spend an hour of their lives cleaning up spices." He starts walking away from me, his fingers expertly beginning to unbutton the vest he was wearing.  
        "Um, what are you doing?" I shuffled nervously.  
        He turned, vest almost completely unbuttoned, his chest muscles beautifully defined due to the candle light and the shadows it cast. "I need to get this spice out somehow, I need your help to make sure I get it all out."  
        I could tell I was blushing again, which only made it worse when he turned and let his vest fall to the ground, the muscles in his back flexing. "I don't want to see you naked." I grumbled.  
        He looked over his muscular shoulder with a knowing glint in his eye, "Sure you don't. Well I'll leave my underwear on just for you." He winks and continues towards the bathtub. Where did all this flirtiness come from? I hesitantly follow him, watching as he slides into the empty tub, "Are you just going to stand there or are you going to turn the water on?"  
        I quickly made my way to the facet, turning on warm water, completely flustered. It didn't take long for the tub to fill to the middle of his chest, the water completely calm, making it too easy to see his body through the surface. At least he kept his promise of keeping underwear on. I put my embarrassment aside enough to take control of the situation;  he wasn't going to turn me into some submissive servant just because he's pretty to look at, "Scoot forward a bit so you can dip your hair in the water. If paprika gets in your eyes it would hurt a lot."  
        He did exactly as I side, the water turning pink as his hair touched it. I ran my fingers hesitantly through the raven locks, trying to get the red out, causing the water to continue to darker in color. I really hope no one else walks in right now, they might think I've murdered him, with his eyes closed and chest slightly bare where it poked through the surface. He really was very pretty to look at, long lashes brushing his cheeks, beautiful lips on a long, oval face.  
        I pulled my hands out of his hair before the urge to stroke his face overtook me, "Is it all out?" He asks.  
        "Yeah, I think so."  
        He sits up, and I hold back a laugh at the change. The top of his head where the paprika fell was a bright, obnoxious red, the only hint of his raven locks being the sides of his head.  
        "What's so funny?" He asks, and I skip over to grab the hand held mirror, showing him his reflection.  
        "Have fun being a heartthrob now, Fischbach."


	20. Trip to Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was finally able to sit down and really type out a chapter, it's about time, amiright? But seriously, I'm so thankful that we have fall break and I could do this. Now I'm going to distract myself with Stardew Valley and Mystic Messenger for the rest of the day.

        Saying I was mad was an understatement. As we watched King Mcloughlin sail away, his little Irish form waving with his classic amount of energy, maidens are all over King Fischbach. Of course, he was eating it up, throwing me smirks every time another girl told him how much they loved his new hair and clinged to his arms, admiring his muscles.  
        I didn't even get to enjoy the last hour or so of Jack's visit, I was too busy fuming. It was such a shame I was not able to go with the good king Mcloughlin back to his castle, I would've happily done my job there. The feeling only intensified as I heard Mark shout pointedly at me as he spoke to one of the woman, "Some people don't like the red as much."  
        "Those people must be crazy! It looks so handsome on you." She purred back at him, throwing her black hair over her shoulder.  
        "I'm glad you think so, my lady." He growled back, kissing her hand.  
        "Alright your highness. Time to go." I said, having enough of that as I grabbed his arm and pulled him back toward the too small carriage. Too small because there wasn't enough space between Fischbach and I for my liking.  
        "What's wrong Edana? Mas because you were wrong?" He teased.  
        "Yes!" I snapped back, being honest at the same time, "I just want to get back to the castle so I don't have to deal with these girls anymore." King Fischbach gave me a confused look, which I saw out of the corner of my eye, "What?"  
        He smirked again, looking was to proud of himself, "We're not going back to the castle yet. Jack made me realize how I haven't really seen what my community has made this last year or so. The carriage driver has instructions to go to town from here."  
        I stopped dead in my tracks, "Why do I need to come with you for that?"  
        He sighs, turning to face me, "How many times are you going to ask me that before it sticks in your skull that it's just part of your job? Besides, I need a body guard."  
        I raised an eyebrow, looking down at my weak, much smaller frame, then looking at his taller, muscular build, "Yeah, you need ME to protect YOU."  
        He pursed his lips, rubbing at the scruff on his face, "Fair point. Eh, I'm sure I won't need protecting anyway. At the very least, I could throw you in their way, buy myself some extra time." He winks, continuing on the short walk to the carriage.  
        "Remind me to never be in a life or death situation with you." I grumble as I follow.  
        "Not like you have a choice since you're required to be by my side almost every minute of every day."  
        "Don't remind me," I open the carriage door for him, my face fixed into a scowl. He just laughs and pats my head.  
        "What a good girl you are, Edana. Almost as good as my hunting dog, Chica." He steps up into the carriage, my following reluctantly behind him.  
        "I'm not a dog, Fischbach." I cross my arms as the carriage starts to move.  
        "I bet you could be if you really wanted to. I get have one of my seamstresses make some dog ears and a little dog tail to attach to your uniform." He laughs at his own teasing.  
        "Try to put those on me an I'll bite your hand off, I don't care if I end up in the dungeon, it would be worth it."  
        "Aww you don't mean that." He laughs again, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and giving them a squeeze. I wonder if the human jaw is strong enough to bite off an entire arm. Probably reading the violent thoughts in my face from the way I looked at his arm, he slowly removed it, "You're really just entertaining at this point. I like it."  
        I just roll my eyes and look out my window, watching s buildings start coming into view, "Whatever you say your majesty."  
        The city King Fischbach had us go to was not far from the castle, which means a lot of the buildings were nice, and the streets were marble and smooth, and most obviously, clean. All the people we saw, who all stopped to watch the carriage as it's majestic white horses pulled it through the middle of the street, were dressed in nice clothes almost as nice as the king's. My guess would be they were all business people, like those who own oil companies, pearl divers, most successful farmers, musicians, bankers, and cooks. Would these people even known what true art was?  
        "A lot of these people pursue art as a hobby which they can also generate money off of. A lot of them have talent." The king informs me, also watching the hustle and bustle with those intense coffee eyes.  
        "But do they know what hard work is?"  
        To this he had no answer.  
\-------------------------------------  
        "Do you really need another painting." I panted, struggling to balance the three he's already bought, trying to see over them at the purchase he was looking over in front of him.  
        "Decorating is never finished, especially in a home as big as mine." He replied with a dismissing wave of his hand, telling me to shut up in the nicest way he could while in public.  
        I just grumbled as he added another painting to the pile in my arms and continued on his walk. I followed the best I could, my arms starting to hurt from the weight, "Why don't you do this for the poorer towns? There art is five times better than this, even though they don't have as many fancy tools."  
        "They're too far away, it would take a couple days to go there and back, compared to the half hour it takes to get here from the castle. It only took a couple minutes to get here from the docks."  
        I roll my eyes at his response, deciding to keep my mouth shut. I just wanted to go back now, and I especially didn't want to carry these paintings anymore.  
        "King Fischbach? Oh my, it is you! I almost couldn't tell because of the red hair!" An older gentle man suddenly said, stopping us. Well, more like the king stopping and me almost running into him. Would be a shame to ruin these over priced kid scribbles, wouldn't it?  
        "Oh, Mr.Cambridge, good to see you. How is the bank coming along?"  
        "Quite well, your majesty, construction will be finished next week. We already have customers ready to make accounts. On top of that, the area is absolutely gorgeous and my daughter loves it here. Thank you for the opportunity, sir." The gentleman bowed then, revealing the top of his head being bald. kind of make the grey surrounding it more pronounced. He also carried a round belly, red cheeks, and nice green eyes. His suit seemed to strain a bit to keep his stomach in.  
        "No need to bow, it was the least I could do after you helped my mother with her debt." The king said with a smile.  
        "Anything for the previous queen, speaking of a queen though...have you found yourself someone to court yet?"  
        Immediately, bells went off in my head. I could already tell where this is going, and King Fischbach wasn't going to like it.  
        "No I haven't yet." Fischbach replied politely.   
        "Well you know...my daughter just reached the age of 20 and she is still open to suitors, and it would be a great honor for you to marry her." I could see the color and smile drain from the king's face a bit at hearing that. I flashback to what he said at the ball, knowing I'd need to come up with something and fast to help him out of this.  
        "Oh sir watch out!" I shout in fake surprise and at "accidentally" let one of the larger paintings fall forward, taking me with it.  
        "Oh my! Are you okay young lady?" Mr.Cambridge asked in concern, leaning down to help me a bit.  
        "I just felt so light headed all of a sudden. It's probably from all this heat while carrying such heavy artwork." I throw the back of my hand on my forehead for dramatic effect, "And these heels are a crime!" I lift my leg, showing off the small heel in my work shoes. I've dealt with bigger heels but there is no way for the banker to know that.  
        Although King Fischbach kept a straight face, I could see the amusement and gratitude in his eyes, "Oh you poor thing, here let me help you with those." He says as he scoops up the art.  
        As the older gentleman help me back to my feet, I pretend to be out of breath, "Oh my hero! I hope I could make it home to my family with those."  
        "No need, I'll carry them for you. Let me escort you back." Holding out his elbow for me to take, he starts leading me back toward another building to the right of us, "As you can see, I have to attend to this Mr.Cambridge, I'll see you around!" He yells over his shoulder.  
        As we make our way to the back of the building, where we were quite hidden, he burst out in a deep bellied laugh, throwing his head back and dropping the paintings so he could hold his stomach, "Edana you are quite the actress!"  
        I couldn't help the chuckles that escaped my own lips, "The look on his face when I fell was priceless!"  
        "He was so flustered!" Fischbach grabs my shoulders, leaning his head on one as he laughed. I full on joined his, laughing just as hard as he was, leaning my back against the wall to more easily support his weight. As we calmed down, he pulled back, moving his hands to either side of my head, a beautiful smile lighting up his face, "Thank you for that Edana. You really saved me from an awkward situation."  
        I felt my cheeks warm a bit, "I could tell where he was going with the conversation once he asked if you were courting anyone."  
        King Fischbach sighs, "I was worried that's where he was going too." His eyes bore into my blue ones, and something seemed to change in his face. He leaned his head down, his forehead touching mine, our noses brushing their sides together. I could feel myself start to tremble at the proximity.  
        Fischbach moved his right hand off the wall, tracing my jaw with his finger tips before placing his thumb against my bottom lip. All I could do is freeze up, not sure if I was okay with this or not. Why was I so confused? Is it because of how close he was, that I could feel his hot breath on my face? Or is it the way his chocolate eyes wouldn't leave mine? The way I could feel every curve of his body against mine, his hair on my forehead and legs trapping mine? Or how beautiful the curve of his pretty pink lips looked? Was he going to kiss me? Should I let him?  
        My racing thoughts halted as he stepped back, away from me, looking a little out of breath and flustered himself, "Let's get back before I have to deal with Mr.Cambridge again."  
        I nodded in agreement and grabbed the almost forgotten paintings on the ground, letting him lead the way back to the carriage considering there was no way I could focus on anything enough to get us back.  
        And of course, I would never admit to anyone that I let him put his arm around my shoulders for the entire ride back.


	21. The Reason

        "I don't care what he says, tell your king we don't need more butter." King Fischbach said with a sigh as the royal adviser for a neighboring kingdom was shaking in his boots.  
        "....Not even exotic ones?" The boy squeaked.  
        Fischbach rolled his eyes and waved the boy off, letting the guards lead the kid away as he turned to me, "That king has a surplus of cows, yet all he tries to trade us is butter." His voice grated on my nerves a bit. Despite the fact we shared a nice moment in the village a week ago, it doesn't change anything. He's still responsible for how bad my life is and I'm not letting him change that opinion.  
        "You could've been nicer to the boy though." I pointed out snarkily, refilling his water cup. It's been a long day for meeting with others. The country is still in a bit of a frenzy due to Sean coming and going. Usual rumors, unhappy nobles, overly grateful lower class people, people requesting loans. It's been busy, I almost felt bad for him. Almost. "Are you almost done for the day?"  
        He gnaws at his lip thoughtfully, "I think I am. We need to stop by the library to read up on a way to get some cows from that king instead of better, maybe help a bit to prevent fathom. You're caught up on your reading, right?" He asks as he stands and stretches.  
        "Yeah I am, I'll be reading as well or better than you in no time." I smirk.  
        "We'll see." He laughs, leading the way out of the room.  
        "Is that a challenge?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I followed him. He just chuckled and shook his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets. We fell into silence as we walked through the hall side by side. Despite the better terms we've been on, I couldn't help the bitterness I still felt in my chest. I have to keep myself from forgetting why I hate him in the first place, what he's done to my family. I can't let him pull me into his trap like he's done to so many others. The familiar feeling of anger rose in my chest as I thought about it.  
        "Hey, are you okay?" King Fischbach asks suddenly, grabbing my arm when we were just inside of the library, "You're face got kind of...angry?"  
        "No I'm fine." I said softly, gently pulling my arm away from him, "You needed a book about trading right? Or about that kingdom? I'll just get you both." I head up to the corner of the library, where I knew those books were located, heading to the back shelf. I just needed to get away from him before he turned those deep eyes on me. I knew I needed to get the flash of anger under control so I don't do something stupid.  
        However, I did not account for him to follow me, "Edana please, we've made so much progress, don't go back into your shell like that." He said softly, his voice right behind me.  
        "I told you I wasn't here to be you friend, Fischbach. We aren't friends." I feel his large hand on my shoulder as he slowly turns me away from the bookshelf, making me face him.   
        I still refuse to meet his eyes despite his best effort, "What did I do? I don't understand, really. This change was very sudden, you're like bipolar or something."  
        I laugh humorously, "Yeah, I guess you wouldn't concern yourself with stuff like that."  
        "Like what?" He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.  
        "It's your fault."  
        "What exactly is my fault? I haven't done anything that-"  
        I couldn't take it anymore, "It's your fault my mom is dead!"  
        He stood there dumbfounded, the confusion even greater in his eyes, "I don' think I've ever killer anyone..."  
        "My mother got very sick, and you had medicine available but for us and many other poor families we couldn't afford such a high price. Mom and many others died and it's your fault for making it only available for the rich!"  
        The confusion cleared from his eyes, replaced with gentle understanding, "Oh Edana...My father died of the same illness just a few months earlier...which is the reason the medicine was available at all...but it didn't work for everyone and the king has no control over the price or distribution of the medicine."  
        Wait, no. That can't be true, "No, it has to be someone's fault...People like my mom don't just die with no way to fix it! You're lying! Stop lying and tricking all these people! You can't trick me! You can't..." The thing that has kept my grief back all these years, that kept me going with the thought I could one day make the person who caused my mom's death pay, was crumbling quickly. He had to be lying...If I can't hate him then what do I do?  
        "I'm not tricking you, I'm being honest. The medicine didn't even work. No wonder you've hated me so much...you have to let yourself feel the pain before you can get better Edana. Let me help you...as your friend." He enveloped me in his arms, and as I stood their frozen, I felt the tears start to swell in my eyes. He was right, of course he was right.  
        I had nothing, my mother is gone, being mad at--no, hating-- Mark would not bring her back. Could not bring her back. My brother and Father were far miles away, and I was alone here in a giant castle with only one person I know.   
        One person... "What do I do? Why does it hurt so much when she died so long ago?"  
        He stroked my hair gently, "If I knew this is why you hated me I would've talked to you sooner. You didn't let yourself move on so it just ate away at you. But now you're closer to being able to move on and find happiness. Despite being your boss, I want to be a part of that journey. Can we finally be friends?"  
        I swallow past the deep sadness that the anger left behind, trying to think, to comprehend, what he said, "I don't know...it can't be that easy and-" I sob fell past my lips. My mom was really dead. She was gone, she is really gone. No explanation for it, no one's fault, just...left.  
        I don't know when he picked me up, or where he was taking me, but I do know that I suddenly didn't want to be left alone. I don't want to be alone. "Come on, time to rest. Don't worry about the rest of your duties, I'll be fine."  
        "Don't go..."  
        "I'll be right here." I feel him gently put me on something soft, comfortable, and I feel how exhausted I was. I open my eyes, not sure when I closed them, and see we are in his room, "I'm just going to sit over here on the ground next to bed and read, I won't leave while you're awake, alright? I promise."  
        "Why are you being so nice? I've been horrible...so full of bitterness..." He gently pulls the soft blanket over me.  
        "Sleep for now, Edana. We can talk when you wake up, okay?"  
        I nod, feeling the rough fingers of the sand man pulling my eyelids shut. I don't deserve this, I've been so horrible, he's not horrible...I shouldn't just sleep. My mom will still be gone when I wake.  
        But no amount of fight could keep me from being pulled into the nothingness of unconsciousness.


	22. Start Over

      I felt like I might have died when I felt myself rejoin the conscious world, the bed felt like a cloud...if clouds were touchable of course. As my memory quickly returned, getting past the haze sleep causes, I groaned and pulled the downy blanket over my head. His blanket. Oh god, I broke down in front of him, he's probably just waiting for me to wake up so he could tease me. If I feign sleep a little longer, then I can at least delay the embarrassment of having to face King Fischbach again. Or...Mark again. He wanted me to call him Mark, right?  
        My plan to stay in bed was quickly disintegrated at the sound of a bunch of plates shattering. Was that coming from the kitchen? I quickly hopped up, swiftly fixing my uniform and rushing out of the room. Mark wasn't still in the room either, we're not being robbed or he's being held for ransom or anything. Wait, is this...worry? For him? What is happening to me...  
        As I slide past the dining room table and peeked into the kitchen, the sight of broken glass and aroma of some sort of meat greeted me. The meat smelled a lot like chicken, mingling with other smells too of course. However, the most distracting thing about the scene was the red haired man sitting in the middle of the floor. As the king glanced up, his patient chocolate eyes met mine.  
        "Edana you're awake! I-I was going to b-bring you something to eat and hoped to have it up there for you when you woke up since I know you felt like crap but I screwed up and might've broken, uh, everything." He rambled, rubbing the back of his neck.  
        Despite my little effort to hold it back, and when I say little effort I mean almost no effort, a small smile pulled the corners of my lips, "You didn't hurt yourself or anything, right? Broken glass is dangerous."  
        He analyzed my face, probably checking to see if I was messing with him or not, "Are you concerned for me? This is quite unusual, what a nice little surprise. If I knew all I needed to do to get you to be nicer to me was let you sleep in my bed I would've done it earlier." Mark chuckled, standing and carefully stepping over the broken glass.  
        I on the other hand was completely flushed, "You should think before you speak, Mark. We've discussed this before."  
        The king's face lit up, and he excitedly stepped toward me, a giant smile on his face, "You called me Mark! I finally got you to call me by my first name! Miracles really do happen."  
        I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of me, I don't remember him being this funny before. Then again, I blocked him out a lot before so that was probably part of it, "Yeah yeah, whatever, it's no big deal." I divert my gaze, weary of the words that were about to move past my lips, "I wanted to apologize, for everything I guess? I admit I was a bit cold-hearted toward you, and made unfair assumptions. Maybe we can start over? Just a little bit?"  
        King Fischbach brought a hand up to his chin, gently pulling at his scruff, his teasing eyes revealing that he was playing with my by pretending to think about it, "Not forgiven, 50 years in the dungeon."   
        I lifted my eyebrows, my smile returning, his seal eyes boring into my ultramarine ones. He finally dropped the act, throwing his head back to laugh, "Alright, starting over sounds nice. Maybe now we can drop the animosity and actually get to know each other a bit. If you want to get to know me that is, but I know for a fact that I want to get to know you."  
        "You know what? Getting to know you sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Besides, I already know how much you love to talk about yourself." I wink at him, giggling.  
        "Of course I do, I'm pretty amazing, have you met me?" He offers his arm out to me, and I look at it questionably. He chuckles, "I want to take you to the part of the castle you probably haven't seen yet. A stroll through the garden before the temperature drops enough to wipe out the flowers will be nice, don't you think?"  
        "There's a garden? Doesn't seem like something you'd be interested in." I say as I finally take his arm, my hand going to the crick of his elbow quite effortlessly.  
        Mark leads the way, out the front doors and to the right, moving across the dark green lawn, "I personally, although in love with nature, am not interested in gardening. The garden is in lace because of my mother. She absolutely loves to garden and the look and smell of flowers. Of course, she's older now, and lives in a nice house a bit of a long ride into the mountains, where she can enjoy gardening to her heart's content. I usually try to go out to see her a couple times a year." He looked down at me, flashing me with a flawless smile. I smile back, although suddenly a bit self conscious about my own teeth.  
        My mother enjoyed nature too. She said one of the reasons she stayed in Fazbearia was because the mixture of breathtaking mountains and astonishing beaches. She swears the sunsets were prettier here and that the stars were more visible. She would've been heartbroken if she heard all the thoughts I had about how much I hated it here, and I suddenly wanted to take it all back, every bad thing I said about this country...and about Mark. I regret how wrong I was. Mom is not here, so I must behave in a way that would've made her proud.  
        "Oh, I shouldn't have just started talking about my own mom like that since it wasn't long since you told me yours...I'm sorry I was not thinking." I jumped a bit at his voice, not even aware that I had zoned out. Surprisingly, his voice lessened the ache that was dangerously building in my chest. I didn't even realize the pain was there till now.  
        "It's okay, I don't mind at all. Your mom sounds like an amazing woman." I reassured him. He visibly relaxed, looking from me to the image in front of us, "We're here, by the way."  
        I looked up and felt my breath catch in my throat a bit. It wasn't unbelievably huge, but it was stunning. There was a little stone path that created a spiral pattern to the center, flowers on each side of the path. There were so many different kinds of flowers too, from the most recognizable Roses to exotic flowers I've never even seen before, much less knew the name of. The little space of flowers was surrounded by different kinds of small trees, the extreme outer edges providing the illusion of being hidden through a bunch of weeping willows. In the distance was a swing, shaped like a crescent moon, vines growing down the rope holding the swing to the weeping willow. The light pink and white colors in the swing was barely visible from our distance.  
        "You were right, this is so beautiful." I told Mark, taking my eyes off the landscape to stare at another amazing creation in nature.  
        His cheeks were lightly pink, probably due to the slight breeze that blew through the area, making the swing drift back and forth on it's own. He looked content though, "One day I'm going to be able to share this place with my wife. I'll be able to sit with her on the very same swing that my father built for my mother. It use to be a bright red, but the color has faded due to years of use and weather. I don't mind it though, the much softer tones suit me better in my opinion. For a love that lasts longer than their's did. Hopefully."  
        I gave his arm a gentle squeeze in an attempt to comfort him, knowing his worry about not being able to marry for love. "You'll find your queen one day. When you find the right person, it will be obvious."  
        "You sound much more wise when you're actually nice." He teased,but I could see how grateful he really was in his cocoa eyes.  
        Suddenly, realization hit me, "We never cleaned up the broken plates or took the food you made off the stove."   
        We stared at each other, then glanced back at the castle, "I should go and get this messy situation handled." He says with a small smile, "I should make you clean it up since it was for you to begin with."  
        I playfully pull my arm away, pushing his back to his side, "Oh whatever you jerk. Just go fix it." He laughs, starting a light jog back to the castle, and I run after him, his longer legs giving him the advantage. He looked back at me with a giant smile on his face, his hair bouncing with his movements.  felt my own hair against my neck as it fell loose from it's usual bun. And we laughed together, because we were finally having fun. I got to be a kid again without worry, even for that small moment of being able to run through the castle lawn in the afternoon with the king Mark Fischbach. Surprisingly, maybe working for him isn't as bad as I originally felt it was.


	23. Christmas Special

        The King's Christmas party was always one of the most anticipated events of the year. Traditionally, it's planned by the Queen, so Mark's mom has been planning it for years. However, this year she was not able to make it out, so Mark was stuck doing it by himself. I watched him work for days making sure everything was prepared. He hired about 10 cooks to prepare a giant meal, put in an order (via me) for a special outfit, purchased about a thousand different decorations from a couple differ countries, and even invited the entire country instead of just the wealthy.  
        Of course, it was my suggestion for him to invite everyone. But after over a week of preparation in total, we finally got everything ready in the great ballroom, which I haven't even seen till we started cleaning it. It was a huge room, bigger than the cottage we occupied when I first started working for Mark, it must have been over 60 feet long and 40 feet wide. It had a dome like shape on it, glass windows lining the roof. The golden walls with silver accents spiraled upwards, and the multicolored marble floor had a dust covered sheen, which was reflective when we finally finished cleaning and waxing it. A giant glass chandelier hung in the middle, wrapping the grand room in a metaphorical bow.  
        With the decorations, silver tinsel adorned the wall, a long table covered in various types of food sat on one side. There were three wreaths above each door, and of course Christmas themed plates, cups, and silverware. Mark had the room finished off with hundreds of hand made snowflakes mounted all over the walls and mistletoe hanging in the top right corner of the room. The king had hand made red servant dresses made for the women and green suits for the men.  
        The kind himself kept a snow theme, besides the still-rd tint to his hair, the only colors on him were white, silver, and the deep black coffee color of his eyes. The buttons to his suit coat were designed to look like snowflakes, the suit jacket itself only coming to a little below his chest, except for the tails in the back,, silver glitter embedded deep into the white fabric. The silver, silky undershirt underneath was tucked into his snow white pants. He even had on silver shoes, quite a strange look considering I'm use to him always wearing darker colors.  
        I tucked some of his red hair under his crown before tugging on the bottom of his suit jacket, making sure it's set right, "Everything is going well so far. Shiloh informed me before I walked in here that guests are almost done arriving and the doors will be closing soon."  
        Mark smiles in response, "This is going good then. It's not as nice as the parties my mother threw, but it will pass. Do I look okay?" He slowly turns, a big, goofy grin on his face.  
        "You look amazing, and you know I would happily point out if you didn't." I giggles, adjusting my plain red dress. I give my bun a quick pat to make sure it will stay, then playfully push the king with my shoulder, "You ready to head out there? Dance with all the willing ladies?"  
        His smile softens, "You'll save a dance for me, right?"  
        I couldn't help the blush that spread across my cheeks, "I guess, if there's no one else that entertains me like you do." I clear my throat, dusting off my dress, "Anyway, it also snowed, so we had the fireplace going in hopes that it will reach the ballroom."  
        He winks, "Trust me, with how many people are here, it will be warm enough."  
\---------------------  
        Now here I am, in the middle of the ball, awkwardly standing by the food table while Mark gracefully moves from one girl to another. It's weird how much I've come to be most comfortable standing by Mark's side, whispering snide comments to each other. It doesn't help that I don't know anybody else here, since the other servants weren't really allowed in for the celebration, and that the food was pretty amazing. I may have been snacking a bit.  
        Of course, I was definitely a little bitter that my friends were able to have their own party with the rest of the staff, probably drunk as all hell right now, and having more fun than I was. It was kind of fun to watch Mark though, he was a beautiful dancer, probably due to years of doing these kind of events. His experience also lead to something else; he was right about it being warm enough in the ballroom.  
        I sweating out of my dress practically. I finally decided I needed some fresh air and slipped out the ballroom door. As I breathed out in relief, my breath appeared before me in the form of a brief white cloud, disrupting the falling snow. The inky black sky was covered by a thin layer of grey clouds, the light from the ballroom spilling into the night a bit.  
        "Much better." I mumble to myself. The calm winter night was more my style anyway, the sound of talking and music quieted by the heavy wooden doors. I gently leaned against the wall; this was the first Christmas I was spending away from my family. I wonder what Father got Alistair this year...maybe he finally saved enough for the wooden toy drum Alistair always wanted. I would send him one if I could, but I didn't have enough for it either. I did send Alistair the sketch I made of a horse in full royal gear since he's always wanted to see it. Father got a piece of paper with the entire section of one of Mark's hunting books written on it by me. Maybe that will help them get enough food for the winter, or even enough to sell on the market at least. And of course, Mark...  
        I had stayed up an entire night to give him the stars. Well, as best I could with the limited amount of paint I had. I have no idea why I worked so hard on his gift, I just felt like maybe I owed him for being so patient with me, and helping me with my Mother, my family. Or maybe it's an apology for having to deal with me all day everyday, especially since I still fight with him a lot. Old habits die hard I guess.  
        A sudden burst of warm air caused me to look up from the ground, my thoughts disrupted, "Here you are." Mark said breathlessly, a smile lighting up his face, exposing his perfect teeth.  
        "Aww, did I worry you." I tease, straightening up.  
        "Maybe just a little." He teased back, letting the door fall shut behind him, "You promised me a dance, remember?" He crosses his arms, leaning against the cold stone wall, "Are you okay?"  
        "Oh I'm fine, just taking a breather. You were right about it being warm in there."  
        "You'll catch a cold if you stay out here too long though. You're in short sleeves, Edana." He chuckles, taking my hand, putting his other on my waist.  
        "What are you doing?" I ask as he slowly takes up the beat of the song inside.  
        "Dancing with you. I was guessing that you prefer to dance out here anyway. I'll keep you warm."  
        I giggled, relaxing a bit as I let him lead. I sometimes forget that this will probably be gone one day. When he starts courting someone, marries them, has children with them. He has such a big heart, it's so easy for any girl to come along and steal it. Then he'll leave me. Not in a literal sense of course, but a mental one. We'll lose whatever this intimacy is between us. I don't know if I'll ever be ready for that.  
        Mark twirls me, bringing me closer, pausing our dance as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box with a neat little bow on it, "I almost forgot, but I got you something." He murmurs in my ear, carefully pressing it into my hand, "I mean, it is only fair since you worked so hard on my gift."  
        I pause, my cheeks turning redder than my dress, "You saw it already?"  
        He chuckles, "Of course. You're a beautiful artist by the way. Now open your present."  
        I smile softly, carefully opening the velvet box, immediately greeted by a glittering silver necklace. As I pulled it out of the box, the long chain became obvious. It had one small charm on it, a series of knots and turns that had seemingly no end. I couldn't identify the warm feeling it gave me, and I gently pulled it over me head.  
        "Do you like it?" Mark asks anxiously.   
        "Absolutely."  
        He smiles widely, "I was worried because it didn't have jewels on it and didn't look expensive that you'd hate it." He clears his throat slight, pink dusting his cheeks, "You should tuck it in your dress. Don't want rumors flying around." I nod in agreement, quickly sliding it under the neck of my dress, the chain falling between my breasts. He grabs my hand and pulls me close again, putting his lips close to my ear, "Merry Christmas, Edana."  
        I gently put my hand on his shoulders, leaning my face against his, tucking my arms in his warm embrace, "Merry Christmas, Mark."  
        He slowly let's go, stepping back and taking my hand, "Now let's get back. I don't want to be a bad host."


	24. Peer Pressure

        "I really don't think this is a good idea, Shiloh." I whisper to my friend as we made our way quietly down the hallway.  
        "It'll be fine, you said he was behind bars, right? I just want to see for myself that he looks like King Fischbach."  
        "And the guards?"   
        "When the king gave us all off, he gave us ALL time off. I thought you loved to break his rules anyway."  
        I stop walking, crossing my arms, "Things change. I don't want him mad at me. And I even more so don't want to see his brother again any time soon. He's sneaky and almost killed me, even behind bars."  
        Shiloh sighs, adjusting the pins in her hair to accompany the stray that had wormed it's way out, "We'll be careful. If you don' want to come then I'll go alone, defenseless and no idea what his tricks are."  
        She was manipulating me, I knew it, but I rather be safe than find out one of my closest friends were missing the net morning, "Alright let's go."  
\------------------------------------------------  
        This all started earlier this morning, when Mark gathered the leads of the staff for an announcement. He was going to visit his mother for a couple days, and although he would have bodyguards, his mom requested that no other staff came with him. Me included. So that means, besides keeping the castle in tip top shape and preparing food for ourselves, we had about 4 days off.  
        I, for one, was definitely looking forward to it. Not having to look after that big man-child for 4 days? Sounds better than any heaven. Shiloh was the one that came up to me and suggested we have a sleepover, to catch up. It's been a long time since we spoke to each other.  
        We both were in casual clothing for once, dull green and brown colored skirts and a dirty looking white shirt. Not the prettiest, but very comfortable, "Any progress with you-know-who?" I teased her as we both sat on my bed, the setting sun casting the room in various orange and gold tones.  
        She smiles, a shy smile on her face, "Finn and I may have stolen a kiss just a couple days ago..."  
        I squeal slightly for her and playfully push her, "You vixen, look at you."  
        She giggled, "Oh hush, I'm not the one with interesting information here. What about you? And the king?"  
        I pursed my lips, looking away from her, "What about us?" I hated that my face was actually warming up.  
        "Come on, you two obviously have been up to naughty things."  
        I raise my eyebrows, "Not at all, why would I want to do anything with that jerk?" I roll my eyes, "Don't believe any of those rumors you hear. People just want to start useless drama."  
        She giggles, eyes glinting, "Oh, it's no rumor. It's the way you two look at each other. And talk to each other. I just thought here was something there."  
        I scoff, "I have no idea what you're talking about. Our looks of contempt are anything but lovey dovey."  
        "I think you mean looks of content."  
        I push her again, "Shiloh!"  
        "I'm teasing, I'm teasing. Say, I never did get to really hear about your little trip to the dungeon. Did you ever find out if the King's brother was real?" She brings her voice down to a whisper, leaning closer.  
        I giggle, it's not like anyone could overhear us, "Yes, very much so. Identical twin is fairly accurate"  
        "So he was hot like the King?" She asks innocently.  
        A sudden shiver runs down my spine as I recalled my only encounter with the corrupt twin of Mark's, the feeling of his breath in my ear and hand holding onto my torso. It was terrifying to think of, "I wouldn't say he was hot. But you were right when you first told me about him, about how he was intense."  
        She was silent for a moment, thinking, "I want to see him."  
        "What?!" I shake me head, jumping up off the bed, "That's a horrible idea."  
        "It will be real quick. He might not even know we're there. Come on, what do you say? In the spirit of freedom? Spiting King Fischbach, who you despise oh so much?"  
\---------------------------  
        And that's how I ended up here, reaching the final step into the cold, pitch black, creepy basement. I motioned for Shiloh to stay very quiet, "Stay behind me the entire time. No matter what he says to draw you closer, if he sees us, don't get closer. Let's hope none of the other inmates are feeling particularly energetic."  
        She nods, a determined look in her eyes. With that, I lead the way down the winding path, past rows and rows of empty cells. There was a lone torch lit, signifying nearing the end of the hall. It was way creepier down here at night, only being able to see a couple feet away from us on any side.  
        I peeked around the corner first, Shiloh following suit, trying to see into the last cell. There is no movement coming from it, but I know he was probably there. Hopefully he was asleep or otherwise distracted.  
        We inched over to the cage, making sure to stop far enough away so he couldn't reach us. Looking really hard, our eyes adjusting to the lack of light, I could make out his figure in the cage. He was leaning against the back wall, observing us with an amused smile. Crap.  
        "Shiloh we should leave-"  
        "Aww, leaving so soon?" The intoxicatingly deep voice calls, the sound of chains clanking together as he stands, slowly stepping into the light.  
        Shiloh gasps and grasps onto my arm, staying behind me, "Holy moley." She squeaks.  
        Dark steps forward, leaning his forearms against the bars, the intense muscle visible from here, "Why are you girls so far away? I don't bite...hard." He puzzles over his words for a second, "Well I guess I do bite sort of hard." Shiloh was shaking now, reacting to his presence a lot worse than I ever did, and by the look on his face he was enjoying it greatly, "Take note Edana, this is the reaction normal people have to me."  
        I roll my eyes, "Whatever jackass."  
        It gave me great satisfaction to see the smile wiped off his face, a growl resonating in his throat, "I was right, you are a bit of a hot head."  
        "Aww is someone mad I'm not scared of them?" I teased, Shiloh looking at me like I just said I was going to adopt an alligator and have it sleep in my bed with me.  
        He cackles, gripping the bars tight enough that his knuckles were even more white then his grey skin already was, "Oh, you're scared of me. I can tell. Or maybe that's not fear but...arousal?"  
        I clench my jaw, "In your dreams."  
        "Oh you have been and well be, sweetie."  
        I growl and step forward, "Don't you dare call me that."  
        Shiloh immediately get in front of me, pushing on my shoulders, "Let's just go back, I shouldn't have suggested this."  
        She was suddenly dragged backwards, head tilted up as Dark pulled on her hair, "You're far too easy to get fired up, Edana." He purrs. Just as quickly as he pulled her back, he let her go. Shiloh fell to the floor, crawling quickly back over to me. I help her get up, and she immediately starts running back the way we came.  
        "I upset her. Good." Dark winks, "I'll see you later, my dear."  
        "You're just some pigheaded jerk!" My hands curl into fists.  
        "Are you going to try to punch me? Because I would love to see that." He smirks, heading back toward the wall he was resting against before we came in.  
       I open my mouth to reply, but change my mind at the last minute. I decided it would be best to stomp after Shiloh before I got myself killed. Clenching my teeth, I turn away from the evil prince, heading back down the hallway.  
\-------------------------  
        I found Shiloh in my room, sitting on my bed with her face buried in her hands, black hair undone a bit and loose, "You were right, we shouldn't have done that." She sobs.  
        "Oh Shiloh, it's okay," I walk over to her, sitting next to her and hugging her, "Now you know. No need to cry, everything is fine. He can't get you, you know that."  
        She sniffles, "I lost the pin in my hair when I ran back here."  
        "I'm sure we'll come across it eventually, don't worry about it." I bump her playfully, throwing her a smile, "We still have the rest of the sleepover, let's go do more fun stuff. Forget about him."  
        She nods, the light back in her eyes, "You're right, let's go spy on the cute guards." She giggles.  
        "Whatever you're up for." I smile widely at her, letting her lead the way.  
        I'll add it to my list to find her pin for her some other day.


	25. The Return

        The big, heavy doors of the throne room groaned as I pushed them, revealing King Fischbach sitting on his throne, a bored and irritated expression on his face. His knuckle supported his head via his cheek, the raven locks of his hair curling gently away from his eyes, to the side. Mark's scruff seemed a bit more scruffy looking, his hair still a mess. The crown sat a bit crooked, and his clothes were a bit rumpled, a deep black shirt with a dark red vest, black pants tight against his legs and waist. He had his shirt sleeves pushed up to his elbows and half of his shirt wasn't tucked in, not to mention the amount of wrinkles was intense. He had his ankles across his knee, leaning against the left side of the chair. His tan skin looked a bit dimmer than usual, the light not as effectively bouncing off him, "You're back early."

        "Oh really? I didn't realize." He replied sarcastically.

        I raise an eyebrow at the tone, "No one even saw the carriage return, they just said you were heading here and I should go find you. Did something happen?"

        He shrugs, running fingers through his black hair to fix it. The red has finally faded at least, "I was just ready to return. Mother is doing well and I felt like I definitely shouldn't overstay my welcome." A crooked smile pulled at his lips, "Though I am glad for the break myself, not having to meet citizens." He stands and slowly makes his way over to me, his stance almost predatory.

        "You seem to be in a bad mood." I comment, not meeting his eyes.

        "Oh? Does it scare you?"

        I puff up a bit, "No! It's just uncommon."

        He lets out a chuckle, reaching out and taking a strand of my hair between his fingers, "Family can make me feel a bit stressed. Maybe you can help me relax a bit?"

        I blush, a suggestive thought worming it's way into my head. I push it away quickly, "The library is always open."

        He hums, "Sound good to me." His face softens a bit, looking more like he usually does, before leading the way back through the doors that had closed behind me. They flung open effortlessly, like they weighed nothing to him.

        I stared at his back, my jaw hanging open, before snapping it of it enough to jog lightly to catch up with his long strides. Each servant we passed didn't seem to notice the small change in the king, giving us warm smiles as they passed. Maybe it's just my imagination that he seems more... dangerous. Or more of an asshole at least.

        I felt a sudden pain in my nose as I walked right into the closed door of library. I stumbled back, quickly touching my nose to check for blood. "Mark, what the hell?!" I push the door roughly, Mark looking back at me with an amused smile.

        "Aww Edana, were you expecting me to hold that for you? Now why would I do that? You should've been paying attention."

        I growl softly, letting the door fall shut behind me. The sound echoed off the empty library walls, "You're a jerk." I grumble.

        He winks, "I know. Tell me, Edana," He stepped toward me, grabbing my face and tilting my head up to face his, his breath fanning across my face, having an almost intoxicating effect, "Were you not paying attention because you were thinking about me?" He wraps the other arm around my waist, throwing me off balance enough that he had to support my weight.

        What the hell is going on with him? I push him away, straightening my dress, "What has gotten into you, you weirdo? Have you been drinking or something?"

        Mark scowls, obviously unhappy about being pushed, "I wish I could have a drink around here, but then I wouldn't be held responsible for my actions." He eyed me slightly, sending a chill down my spine. Seriously, why is he acting like this? This is almost a full 180 from how he usually is.

        I narrow my eyes suspiciously, looking up and into his eyes. He seems a bit taken aback by the sudden stare, but meets my gaze evenly, his deep eyes intense. The normal dark brown color was closer to black, a swirling obsidian. the only time I've ever seen Mark's eyes anywhere near this color was back around when I first started and I angered him. Then again, I've never seen Mark in a bad mood before, so it's most likely a result of that.

        A smirk lights up his face suddenly, almost startling me, "Ah yes, we have almost forgotten the reason for being here. I need to look for a book." He turns on his heel, heading up the swirling steps to the second floor.

        I let out an annoyed sigh and follow him. I wandered down the aisle to find the one he disappeared down. He appeared in the corner, eyes scanning the shelf just above his head. Those eyes flick back to me, and he roughly grabs me wrist and pulls me closer to him in a surprising motion, quick and almost invisible.

        He was really starting to worry me. Especially when he had my back up against the shelf, his arms on either side of my head, "You know, none of these books are really interesting..." He dipped his head down, and i jumped as I felt his breath against my neck, my entire body freezing up.

        "M-Mark...what are you doing? What is going on with you?" I stutter, feeling a small tremble go through my body. Though, if it was from fear or arousal, I wasn't sure. dangerous men could do that to you. But Mark isn't dangerous... Or is he?

        "I don't think you realize how weak you are Edana, how helpless you are. Especially right now." He purrs, sending sparks through my body. My breath catches in my throat. And then his lips were on me, my neck, and just as suddenly, his teeth ghost across my skin.He bit hard enough to cause me pain but not hard enough to break the skin, shoving his body against mine.

        And I couldn't decide if I liked this or not.


	26. Edana isn't a Damsel in Distress

      My fingers slowly curled around the frame of a book as he continued his assault on my neck. As soon as I got a good hold on it, I pulled it out, raising my arm and smashing the heavy volume right into the side of his head, making him fall away from me, "How the hell did you get out, Dark?" I wipe his spit off of my neck, my skin already showing signs of a hickey. Gross.

        A low, menacing chuckle resonates from him as he slowly raises his body enough so he could stand,  "Nothing gets pass you, does it dear?"

        I raise my chin, "I admit you had me fooled for awhile. Had them fooled too. But Mark would never act the way you just did."

        "He wants to though. Oh how he wants to. He likes you, you know that, right?" He laughs again, stretching his neck a bit, "But he isn't here right now...and I can't have you going off and getting me locked up. No more, never again."

        "What are you going to do? Kill me? Torture me?" I scoff, keeping a tight hold on the heavy book, "Like that would get you anywhere."

        "Maybe not, but imagine when my brother returns only to hear his precious little servant had a fatal accident? Maybe...with a wild animal? I wouldn't mind ripping your throat out." A menacing smile grew on his face. I just rolled my eyes, like he could actually get close enough to me to cause any real harm now. I mean sure, he's a lot stronger than I ever could be, and taller too, and I might not have any fighting skill what so ever but I know how to hit things with other things pretty well.

        "Hmmm maybe not that." He speaks again, stalking slowly to the side, blocking the only path back to the stairs. I'm willing to bet he can run faster than I can too... "Imagine Mark coming home to see his servant serving ME." He let's out a laugh.

        I can feel myself grimace, "Why the hell would I serve you?"

        "Why wouldn't you want to serve me." He purrs, stepping closer, tracing his fingers down my jaw, "I could give you anything." He leaned close, his sweet breath fanning across my face, creating the same hypnotizing effect Mark's causes.

        I stumbled back, as far away from his hand and his enchanting smell as possible, leading me up against the guard rail that keeps people from falling from the second floor-- Wait a minute.

        "Hey Dark, catch!" I chucked the book at him, and I soon as it thunked him in the chest, him catching it instinctively. By the time he looked up again, I had already jumped over the railing, landing roughly on my back. Pain blossomed through my rump and back, but I didn't have any time to waste. Despite the pain I jumped up, quickly running to the door.

        I could hear his footsteps echoing as he rushed after me, down the stairs like a normal person of course, but thankfully I tugged the heavy door open and was out in the hall, running, before he even reached the first floor. It didn't take me very long to ditch the heels either.

        I have to think of a plan, an actual plan. I can't just tell everyone, because it's his word against mine. I'd have to go to the only person that I know will believe me. I rush to the doors that lead to the back where the farm was...and the stables. Ignoring the pain of running across the ground without any shoes, I throw open the stable doors and rush to the first horse stall. Empty. The next one as well. Where did all the horses even go? Ah yes, quite a few were used for Mark's carriage, Why does he need o many anyway? There must be a hunting exhibition out as well to bring more meat back to the castle. Well crap.

        The sound of shuffling brought my attention to the last stable on the right. Tip toeing over and peeking in, I was greater by the beautiful, soft eyes of the black horse I met when they took me from the castle. His beauty was still breathtaking, but I couldn't get distracted by that now. I quickly hop on- and by quickly I mean it took me about three tries but who's counting?- and sit as the horse calmly walks out his stable door. Of course I've never really learned how to ride a horse with a saddle and other equipment, how am I suppose to ride one without one. At least it  has a bridal on so I could be able to maybe steer it. 

        I don't have time for this, I need to stop thinking about it and just DO it. I lightly kick the horse's flank, getting the majestic animal out the door, facing the road that lead into our mountain range. Without looking back, I nude the horse's flank again and off it went in a sprint. I grabbed the side of it's neck as it flung me around a bit, before getting my balance, barely, an guiding the horse as best I can. It's not ging to be a comfortable trip, but this NEEDS to happen. To save Mark's kingdom.


	27. Together

        I've fallen off the stupid horse 10 times in the four hours I've been riding it. Since each time we were going full speed too, it wasn't fun or gentle. Both my legs at this point are scrapped to all hell, the right one stops bleeding just to start again the next time I fall off. My hair has fallen out of my bun a few falls ago, and dirt, leaves, sticks, and who knows what else is sticking out from the greasy black locks sprouting from my head. The side of my uniform has been torn too, all because I can't hold on. If i survive this without getting some sort of sick I would be impressed with my own immune system.

        It doesn't help that I actually don't know where I'm going. I've never been to the Queen's house before. I briefly remember Mark mentioning something about following a dirt path but there were, like, five different paths. I'm following carriage tracks but I have no way of knowing if those were caused by Mark's carriage or some other nobles'. I'm lucky the castle horses are well trained, otherwise this black beauty would've left me butt behind a long time ago. 

        I can only hope Dark hasn't told anyone, or sent anyone at the very least, after me. I don't think he knows where I went but I could be wrong. If I were to go back right now, would I be dead the minute he saw me? Or something worse? I curse under my breath as the horse stumbled slightly, startling me.

        "Are you tired, boy? Maybe there is a stream nearby we could stop at to get you some water..." I look around at the trees, all of them looking the same as the other. It was quiet, well, as quiet as a forest full of animals can be. There was lots of bird sounds, soft light from the sun sprinkling across the leaf filled ground. I suppose we're lucky we haven't run into any bears...or wolves...or mountain lions...I should've thought about grabbing at least something that could be used as a weapon besides my personality. We're defenseless out here, completely and utterly vulnerable. If I don't find the stupid house before night falls we're probably going to be screwed. Childhood mentions of monsters suddenly came to the front of my mind: vampires, ghosts, banshees, ghouls, demons, werewolves...

        I shake my head, focused again on finding a river. The stress of the situation most be really getting to me. I slide off the horse, landing on my sore feet, bruised from running earlier and all the times I struggled to get back on the horse. Taking the reins, I slowly start walking a little off the path, leading the gentle beast behind me. I swear the has to be a river somewhere this way. I've heard running water coming from this way before when our winding path turned in this direction. Then again, that was a couple miles back. This was a stupid idea, we're going to die out here.

        However, as we walked, much to my surprise, a little town suddenly appeared right past a break in the trees. There seemed to be a few houses, a place that could've been a store maybe. A group of kids were kicking around a ball, their laughs filling the air, helping calm me a bit, I always have liked children. But the bigger question, what's with such a sudden change from the barren wilderness to civilization?

        The children stop playing as soon as I step into the clearing, just staring. I can see why, considering the mess I probably look. I smile softly at them, trying to show I'm no threat, "Hey there, do any of you guys happen to know if there is any family with the name Fischbach around here?"

        One of the little girls with a yellow dress giggles, "You mean the old queen? She lives up near the front of town!"

        My hopes rise again, I went the right way! The amount of luck I had was incredible, "Yes, her! Can you guys lead me to her house? I'm looking for someone."

        The other little girl, one with a blue dress, pipes up, "Are you looking for Mark? He played with us earlier today! He told us about a girl he said was amazing that he met at the castle." She giggles with her friend, "The king is in love."

        I roll my eyes slightly, children can be so oblivious sometimes, it was cute, "Yeah I'm looking for him."

        "I'll go get him! Anything to get a break from these two!" One of the boys said, taking off in a sprint across the plain, a couple others following, a mini race to see "who could get to Mark first" beginning.

        I gently stroke the horse's nose as we wait, the little girls stealing glances at me and the creature beside me, "You don't look like a princess." One of them says nervously.

        I smile softly at her, "I'm not a princess. I'm most definitely not the girl he was talking about. There is an emergency, I just need his help with something."

        They nod, going back to silently observing us. Yelling caught our attention as the boys ran back, barely avoiding trampling the girls. They all laughed though, plopping themselves down on the soft grass that covered the field. Following not too far behind them came Mark, raven hair floofed up from the wind, brown eyes sparkling with exertion. I never thought I would be so relieved to see his stupid face in my entire life.

        He slowed to a jog when he saw the horse, confusion evident on his face, but broke out in a run again when he saw me.

        "Edana, what happened?" He pulls a twig from my hair, making the children giggle. However, concern shown in his eyes, obvious he wasn't joking.

        "Is there somewhere private we can talk?" I whisper, "It's an emergency, otherwise I would never bother you on vacation.

        He nods, grabbing the horse's reigns and leading the way towards the little town. I follow close behind, glad there doesn't appear to be any people out. We approached a small cottage with deep brown wood that was almost red in color, with light brown accents. Mark ties the reins to one of the outcroppings, the carriage from the castle finally visible. He released the horse and we watch as it trots over to the other ones grazing nearby.

        "Aren't you worried he'll run away? Any of them will?" I ask, tearing my eyes away from the animals to look at the king, finding he was already observing me.

        "No, I know that if they really wanted to leave they would." He smiles softly, the double meaning behind his words lost on me. He just shakes his head and chuckles at my confused expression, "Nevermind. Let's go get you cleaned up a bit."

        My sense comes back to me, "No, we need to leave right now, it's a pretty big problem."

        "You getting an infection or jumped by some drunk citizen is a pretty big problem too." He start pulling all the random mess out of my hair, starting a small pile by our feet.

        "I just fell off the horse a few times..."

        "A few?"

        "Fine, a lot."

        He laughs, running his fingers through the dark coils of rope that was currently my hair. It felt very nice if I was being honest. I can't let myself get distracted though, "What is this place anyway? It's in the middle of nowhere."

        "It's a town built by retired kings, for families no longer living in the castle or who handed the rule to a different family. Those children you met were the three sons and daughter of descendants of the very first king. The other girl and boy were the great grand-kids of the ruler before my family. I hope one day to come here and have a proper family too. Nice, quiet, pleasant...private. It would be nice to stay out of the public eye forever and just raise a family." The soft smile on his face filled me with a weird warmth that made my cheeks heat up. Probably because it was directed at me. He runs inside and soon brings back a bucket of soapy water, "Now, what is this big emergency that made you wander all the way out here on your own?" He asks as he starts wiping the dirt off my face.

        I felt my heart speed up just at the memory, "Mark....Dark somehow escaped his cell and is parading around as you. He has some sort of makeup to make him look just like you." He pauses, the cloth pressed against my cheek as he processed what I just said.

        "You're right. That definitely qualifies as a reason to go back right away. He can't do too much damage yet anyway." He moves down to my neck and shoulders, and i wince has he moves over a slight scratch, "Was this bruise from falling?" He asks with amusement.

        I stared slightly, surprised he wasn't more affected by this news. It was pretty distressing, especially since it's HIS kingdom. I shake my head as I glance down, only slightly able to see the discolored skin, "No, that was from Dark. His,uh, mouth." I couldn't help the blush that spread through my cheeks.

        Mark freezes, his thumb tracing the mark, causing goosebumps to rise on my arms at the caresses, "That son of a-" Mark curses, turning away from me and pacing a couple yards away, taking a few deep breaths. He slowly walks back and continues leaning, with more urgency, "We got to get back and make him pay for this. For getting out, I mean. And impersonating a king."

        I couldn't help the playful smile that spread across my face, "Mark Edward Fischbach, are you jealous?"

        He freezes again, if he freezes one more time he might rival a statue, "Pshhh of course not. Why...why would I be jealous?"

        I look at the ground, "Yeah I guess. The kids said there was some amazing girl waiting for you back at the castle anyway. I was just teasing." I try o make a convincing laugh but don't succeed very well.

        His cheeks take on a red tint, "Oh, they told you that? Edana I don't think you understand-"

        "Was it another princess? I mean I know we visited with another country before you left on this trip, the king had a very beautiful daughter, if you took a liking to her I could arrange another meeting-"

        "Edana-"

        "I know there are quite a few eligible girls near the castle too that would be happy at the chance of being courted by you too."

        "Eda-"

        "Or is it one of the servants, I know Shiloh's always has liked you-"

        "It is a servant." He says, interrupting her, "But it isn't Shiloh. It's a different servant." He steps closer, watching as I deflate a bit despite my best effort.

        "Ah I see, there are a lot of pretty ones around the castle..."

        He smirks, "Yes, she's very beautiful. Has some of the prettiest eyes, puts the ocean to share. Them gain, I never really liked the ocean, so I guess it wouldn't take much." He chuckles, twirling a strand of my hair around his finger, "I do like the night though. The deep black of her hair I find better though. I've never seen it down before though."

        I raise an eyebrow at him, I have no idea why he's feeling the need to elaborate on this girl. He must see the confusion in my eyes, cause he laughed and stepped even closer, his body so close to mine I could feel his heat through my clothes, "Mark I don't understand what you're doing-"

        I was cut off by the man suddenly leaning foreword, his soft lips gently pressing against mine. The feeling of a million tiny sparks danced across the surface at the friction caused by our skin. He pulls me closer, and I feel my eyes drift closed, completely caught up in feeling of him. I didn't even realized I had taken hold of his shirt till he pulled away- too soon- his cheeks flushed and his eyes alight, "If you haven't gotten the hint yet, that servant is you. I'll pack, and prepare the carriage for a trip back to the castle immediately after leaving a note for my mother. I'm going to teach my brother a lesson he won't soon forget."


End file.
